WORDS: DEJAN VICAI
Isolation can mean a lot of things, and with recent events ensuing, everyone is thinking about the pandemic event and what isolation brings them. It does not have to be a necessarily bad thing; it will change our lives surely, however, it will also allow for new and amazing things to bloom and prosper. On the one hand, isolation will get you cooped up and going stir crazy if you don’t know how to deal with a bit of ‘not going out’-ness, on the other hand, it will allow you creative side to flourish because now you finally have time to focus on yourself.
Take the chance while in isolation to reflect on yourself, to gain new insights into who and what you really are, to harmonize with the world around you. Now, more than ever, it is the greatest time to take up a hobby you always wanted, to find a new interest, and to finally re-plant your garden. Rekindle old friendships and ignite the fire for new passions that could be fruitful in every aspect of your life. Connect with your family because with the world slowing down, we now finally have a chance to keep up with what was going on with them.
The philosophical background of isolation might stem from meditation, which inherently means that you take some time disconnected from everything and everyone and mirror upon yourself. You get a chance to analyze and explore your true self without anyone intervening or filling your head with nonsense. That is exactly what you should do in dire times of isolation as well. Do not let others tell you how bad something is, learn it for yourself, and most importantly listen to your own voice of reason. Mediate on your life, examine your past, see what could have been done differently, learn from your mistakes, and emerge a better version of yourself from all of it. Allow yourself to actually get to know who you really.
The world has suffered many things, and they will keep happening whether we want them to or not. There is not much we can do except learn from those events and better prepare for the next one. For that particular reason it is important to make sure that we do not panic and keep a cool head on our shoulders. Before things could escalate out of proportions and get blown up, we need to stop and think for a moment what is really going on. Isolation, in a manner of speech, can help with that because we will look at things from another perspective and from a fresh point of view.
Life is all about learning and gaining new experiences and while we are limited to do so in our usual day-to-day lives, now is the right time to get back into improving your skills and expanding your horizons. Even in the direst of situations, we have to look on the positive side of things because it can give us the energy and motivation to power through. Everything has an expiration date, and eventually even isolation will come to an end. Our solemn duty is to make sure that we come out stronger, smarter, more experienced from it all. Then again, we should not forget our humane side either because now we can truly help each other in need.
In the end, all that matters is that whatever happens to us during self-isolation, enforced isolation, or just temporary seclusion from society, we do not falter. We need to grab this break and make the best of it as much as we can. Life will not, and should not stop, give yourself some time to recuperate and get familiar with the situation, but once you’ve done that, get back on your feet and get back to life. We need to emerge as a new me, a better version of ourselves, a new person with a fresh take on life. Otherwise, being in isolation has not taught us anything and we cannot really claim that we have done anything useful or remotely engaging at all.
Take this time to re-connect with yourself and find your center of who you truly are.
