When phrases like ‘an uncertain future’ keep popping up in the media it’s easy to see why some folks are feeling a little hesitant, even resentful, about what the future now holds for them. If your once detailed and confident plans are quietly being flushed down the toilet then it’s totally understandable that a decline in self-confidence is sure to follow.

Dubious is a word that seems to creep into my thoughts a lot lately, especially when it comes to the handling of this pandemic. It would appear that indecision and confusion now rule the airways and along with it, our basic wish to simply make up our own mind has been chucked overboard, including a bunch of other hard-won personal freedoms. Entanglement is another interesting word, on the one hand, we are an incredibly smart species with futuristic technologies and super smart machines and we act as an advanced race of people but our fury and appetite for destruction are that of simple-minded children. It would appear that our emotional foundations have not kept track with our racing minds when it comes to looking after ourselves, it’s like we are still emerging from dark damp caves completely ignorant of the harm we are doing to the world we inhabit.

It’s not the first time our future has looked troubled or uncertain. I can’t remember a moment in my life when I could have stood up and declared that my future was now certain, wouldn’t that be nice. Much of what we see going on is disruption on a global scale with the average citizen on the receiving end of very powerful blows so, not much has changed there. Despair comes easily if we give up on our future. Today we talk about stepping up and not out, as a possible solution to all this outside pressure. If the stuff you’ve been planning is no longer working then stop doubting yourself, it’s a clear signal, make a decision, choose to act, and the whole process of transformation will begin.

“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – William Faulkner

Adjustments by their very nature require conversations, the reworking of long-held beliefs, maybe the authorization of a higher power through prayer but, at a bare minimum, it’s necessary to understand if you are unwittingly part of the problem. It’s easy to see why our years of conformity, following the rules and easy compliance has led us to a place where we will accommodate almost any decision made by our elected leaders. Why would we when it’s been working so well for folks in my generation? By ticking all the boxes our rewards were clear, a sweet retirement, a secure future and a continuing prosperous old age was assured. The pact we made was also clear, we follow the rules, behave ourselves and in turn, you will take care of our basic needs. It’s been a good deal until now, what’s arrived on our doorstep is a future that looks more like a purple haze of obscurity than success and it’s disrupting all our lives, the future economy and the natural world that our children so desperately depend on is broken. The pact has burst wide open.

If we can manage to remain mindful, which means paying close attention to our thoughts and feelings we can hopefully get a brief glimpse of the shadows that sabotage us in these uncertain times. The difficulties we are facing is the signpost to where we need to look if we hope to uncover the disruptive old patterns and those emotional shadows lurking in dark corners that upend what should really be easy choices. This blog is not for those following the herd, it’s for those looking to lead. The most important information is right in front of us but understanding only comes if we are paying close attention. The very minute you stop overthinking everything and instead put your energy into making a positive plan of action then getting out of bed becomes so easy and the future looks bright again.

This Pandemic has triggered a reappraisal of many things in our lives and city living is one of them. With frustration and anger rising everywhere, it’s entirely reasonable that the rational and fair-minded amongst us are searching for more space, a calmer place to live and hopefully green vistas to soothe the soul. The great outdoors has been revalued, upgraded and rediscovered. Let’s shift our gaze and look for a sustainable place, a magical place where the lifestyle of people around us means more than a quick shopping expedition on Amazon and our happiness requires deeper change than a slight adjustment in diet and a new personal trainer. Change is coming and people are voting with their feet. I’m also well aware that some retirees’ mobility is an issue and are clearly better suited to more purpose-built villages that support their needs but today, we are speaking of the more robust amongst us, the adventurers looking to sail to new lands to discover a new life, a better life, a safer life.

 Losing focus is a very human trait but it’s now overdue that we survey our conduct, that is if we are to come out of this upheaval with our sanity and values still intact. Our personal circumstances differ widely, incomes, status, life attainments and happiness etc… all at a different place but recognising that you’re feeling out of sorts and off-track is part of the answer. Learning to make adjustments to where our attention is going is the starting point, some fine-tuning so to speak, looking more closely at the conditions that surround our everyday lives does actually matter. Many are asking the wrong question: ‘how do I get my life back’ –  if being mindful is important, then jumping too quickly into what you think your old life was could be missing a real chance, an opportunity to find a new tribe, a community, a place that fits the new you. This new world of yours requires a social group that helps and reflects this new lifestyle, a place that inspires more of a fit that would otherwise be impossible if you stayed put.

My view is green and rural, the air is sweet and water runs nearby, the birds and lizards get along with each other and the locals say good morning with a genuine smile. We cannot, therefore, remain the same, feeling stuck and hope to think ourselves into being safer or better off. In my morning walks, I have a feeling of being safe because I experience this safe place directly. It’s in the real world, it’s not in my mind and it’s not just on social media. The right environment and safe surroundings contribute enormously to our psychology, allowing a balance that would be impossible for us to understand in many other situations. The journey out of fear is an individual one, so before getting our lives back we need to determine what we find acceptable and what is now unacceptable. The numbers don’t count but your emotions do, a sustainable future must inevitably come with recalibrating your personal surroundings. The right environment can bring back a feeling of acceptance, shift life into balance and help you to acknowledge that moving on is now more about choosing an acceptable risk and not wishing things would go back to how it was….It won’t and thinking it will be can only keep you stuck. 

Unfortunately, our nervous system doesn’t easily re-calibrate itself based on a bit of new information we heard on the 7 o’clock news, it takes time for our neurons to sink up, so if we’re not careful and for deeper psychological reasons this pandemic may be slow to come to an end, and for some of us, it could take years for us to be ready to take the next step. 

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” – Mark Twain

The problem facing us now is that the normal choices don’t fit anymore and therefore any restlessness or anxiety we are feeling will only add to our suffering, not resolve it. Getting old is bad enough but we must remember that struggle, hope and despair are all part of the ebb and flow of our lives. Challenges will always push us around but they are also meant to be messengers, this pandemic on some level exists to test our intelligence, beliefs and our emotional boundaries. With a healthy dose of clear thinking, we can learn to deal with what’s happening around us, but if defiance and anger get in your way they can quickly take over control of your emotions and then your clarity is swept away. Complacency is the flip side to being angry and this can be seen as either a cool easy-going style or a smugness that divides even your best friendships. How then do we remain self-assured in these crazy times and stay upbeat about our future? Betterment is another cool word. Upgrading our lives takes powerful energy so perhaps a breakthrough in courage is what’s really needed. 

The strategies of long days of meaningless work to earn more money to bring about your eventual success and happiness are looking rather sad and out of date, mother nature has her own thoughts on the matter and will take charge of the environment we live in as soon as she announces her intention to act. We don’t need a new government policy, we need new ethics and new leaders. The alarm bells are ringing and failure to update your thinking will be at your own risk. No amount of money or personal comfort will hold back the tide. Letting go of inner restraints helps us to create new strategies and if you are like many of us here i.e. blessed with a modicum of insight, then your vision will be far-reaching, leading you on to many wise and wonderful choices. Sitting calmly and quietly gives us time to consider what’s around the next corner of our lives. Then we must act.