Who could have imagined that a flu virus would lead to a global shut down? More and more countries are affected, and the statistics are indeed alarming and a cause for concern. As the reality of the situation kicks in, the logical question we all have is, “What should we DO?” By now, we are probably all well informed as to what to do and what not to do. That is not our problem.
 
But it should not be the only question we ask at a time like this. There is a second important question, which inquires into our inner state of being by asking “How am I being in this situation?”
 
You see, there is a reason why we are called human beings and not human doings. It is rather unfortunate that we have morphed into ‘human doings’. Just notice that, even when we greet each other, we tend to ask, “How are you doing?” This habit of focusing on doing has become so bad that, when we have nothing to do, a sort of anxiety sets in, because we simply don’t know how to just be. As a result, we become restless, bored and irritated, and soon find something to do to keep ourselves occupied again. Any distraction will do. Our busy minds are not helping either. Even if we are not doing something physically, the inner chatter of our minds then often keeps us busy, fabricating all sorts of scary “what if” scenarios: at least we have something to do again now – we can worry.
 
So, what is our inner state, our way of being amidst this pandemic? Are we aware of that, or are we too busy doing the crisis? Have you noticed that the world is coming to a standstill? Never have we seen the streets so quiet and places so empty. A sense of stillness is setting in across the globe. Everyone is maintaining social distancing, isolated in the privacy of their homes, withdrawing from the madness of doing. It is almost as if some higher intelligence is at work, slowing us down and forcing us to ‘go inside’. We should listen to this cue.
 
We should ask the second question. “What is my inner state of being at the moment?”  Am I being fearful, uncertain, angry, worried, irritated, impatient, pessimistic and in a state of despair? This is always the result, if we allow the ego to take charge. The ego is focused outwards, and convinces us only to rely on what our eyes can see and our ears can hear. And when we do that, we have many reasons to be fearful, uncertain, anxious and worried. That is one way to deal with this crisis, by staying glued to our devices, which tell us why we should panic and be in a state of fear and despair. 

There is another way though. We can experience calmness and have a deep sense of knowing that all is fine, even amidst this storm. But there is a prerequisite: to get into that state we need to become still. We need to become still before we can enter that space. Only then will we know it is true. Only then will we discover it is indeed possible to be calm, hopeful, optimistic, certain and content, despite what our eyes and ears tell us, because in the stillness we can then hear the voice of our soul saying, “All is well”. Be still… and you will know. 
 
The pause button has been pushed for humanity. Let us not miss this beautiful opportunity to reconnect with what matters most, because this too shall pass.