Going through the different emotions that accompanied the many phases of lockdown, I could feel myself losing control, drowning and desperately gasping for air. My world was spiralling out of control and as much as I tried, I could not stop the rollercoaster ride I found myself on. How did we even get here? In a split moment, the world had come to a standstill, gone into complete silence, even shock before fear and panic broke out.
In those early days, I found myself unsure of what day it was – the days just seemed to merge into each other. I was in a continual state of confusion, sometimes not being sure of who I was and why I was here. There was a dark cloud hanging over my head. I often had to pinch myself back to reality because it became easy to hide away – in denial. There was dead silence outside. I would go to sleep, hoping that when I woke up, the world would have put itself the right side up. And when it hadn’t, I’d go into a frenzy of ‘doing things’ – anything – to keep myself busy, and make it feel as if it was all the right way up.
When challenging and difficult times hit, we get blinded and can easily lose ourselves and our vision. When the world changes face, it’s easy to lose our direction and focus. When it all goes awry, it’s easy to forget who we are, what we stand for, meaning we end up following the course of the wind. Right now, our world has been turned upside down by a storm we never saw coming; a storm that has shut down all that was familiar; a storm that has taken apart the foundation upon which we based all on.
When we don’t know who we are, we will find ourselves going with the wind – and being carried away in that whirlwind. At such times, our identity is crucial – and we must desperately hold on to it. We have to as it is what makes and defines us. When the world goes into a frenzy and loses direction, we must pause and check our settings, then purposely step into our lane.
We’re living in uncertain times, and may thus be tempted to run… to hide. However, when we know who we are, we will take up our position on the front line, plant our feet firmly and face the storm. Is it easy to do? Most definitely not! How and where we position ourselves is crucial to who we are and who we will be tomorrow. Let’s not be intimidated by what is going on around us. Let’s not abandon our race because if we do, we will be giving up on us. Let’s remain poised and positioned, our eyes firmly on our prize.
These are unprecedented times and such times are fertile for us to attain what is also unprecedented. We can and must reach deep within ourselves to pull all the reserves within to attain what has been and remains set aside for us. As we stand feet firm, let’s continue to think and speak positively. Let’s hold our position and stay true to form.
Hold on to who we are.
We are enough.