And just like that. Life as we knew it changed exponentially.

As I’m writing this, I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed. It’s crazy to think that merely a week ago I was still going to the gym and to the mall to blow out my hair.

Today, that thought sends a shiver up my spine.

The world is in survival mode – whether we like it or not.

I can sense that some folks are mentally not completely there yet.

We are literally witnessing 7 billion people going through Kubler-Ross’s stages of grief.
Some people are still angry. Some are bargaining. Some are in despair. And some are in denial.

Eventually, we all need to get to the stage of acceptance.

Life has changed.

It’s time to adapt and persevere.
We are in for some hard times.

I have great difficulty with the emotional impact these times have brought us.
I am extremely worried about small businesses & people who cannot stay at home as they will lose their jobs. Paychecks lost. Restaurants and malls closing. Children missing out on education.
South Africa’s already frail economy.
And most importantly – lives that are going to be lost as our medical facilities cannot handle a case of extreme infections along with other medical ailments adding to the strain.

I feel like I am on a train about to derail and I cannot get off.

It is a bizarre and surreal experience.
An emotion I sometimes think only I am feeling, yet for the first time in my life, I am feeling something that every single human on the planet can relate to in some way or the other.

It is a supernatural connectiveness between all souls on earth.

It’s hard to have hope in these dark times.
I am as bold as to refer to these state of affairs as World War 3.

I am concerned about the blatant disregard for following social distancing guidelines – those who have the option and opportunity, yet still go on as if we are in November 2019.
I suspect these individuals are still in the denial or bargaining stage of the game.

We already know we cannot stop the spread. What we do need to work together on is slowing the spread.

People’s selfishness irritates me. It’s all about me

I had to cancel my holiday
I can’t go to that music concert or sporting event
I must stay home with my kids
I can’t go to the movies
I don’t like working from home, it’s boring
2020 is the worst year ever!
Woe is me!!

There is a hard wakeup call coming.
Humble pie on steroids.

I feel those egotistical pangs of emotions myself on occasion.
I’m also a homo sapiens living in a capitalist society – individualism is in my DNA.

I have spent over a decade of my life building and growing a business that I love with all my heart. This passion project of mine is shattering to pieces in front of my eyes. And there is nothing I can do to stop it.
I lay awake with anxiety thinking about the wonderful people on my team, desperately grasping at ideas to try and help them keep afloat.

All I can hope for now is that we can sustain this until a vaccine has been found.
I hope that we will be able to rise from the ashes and re-build what we have lost.

Others won’t be so lucky.
For some people, these are the last days of their time on earth.
Spent in isolation and fear.

There is a tremendous amount of economical anguish that awaits masses.

We do not have choice anymore.
We can sulk and bury our heads in the ground, or we can rise to the occasion and think of new and innovative ideas of how to help ourselves and others.

Yes, I acknowledge my pain and sadness. It would be unnatural to not feel some sort of despair.

What is do know for sure is:
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

I will feel the pain and recognize its existence. But I will not allow myself to suffer over things I cannot control.

Humans are super resilient.

Let’s take this time to re-group. A time to re-evaluate our priorities.
Clear the junk from our thoughts.
Get back to what is really important.

For too many years we had white noise in our minds.
A sense or urgent busyness for self-gratification.

It is highly important to find gratitude again.
This is a chance to change our perceptions and take a path in another direction.

Living in a democracy, I realize now I have taken my freedom for granted.
Being under 40 I also took my health & youth for granted.
I have concluded that I did not fully appreciate my life in general.
We know that hindsight is a bitch.

It’s the small things like being able to go to the gym, see friends at a restaurant, attend a show, hopping on an airplane that gets me the most.
When life returns to normal I will never, ever look at these things the same again.
This experience has been incredibly humbling thus far.

It’s a time to practice extreme kindness, compassion and empathy towards one another.
There has never been a more serious period in modern history to recognize the importance of reaching our and helping your fellow human.
It is a critical time to think outside of the box and to use our individual skills, knowledge and resources ton uplift one another. If we all pay it forward, the blow of the aftermath might not hit just as hard.

Depression is going to rise. Check in with your loved ones and colleagues. Connect and engage.
Brainstorm ideas of how to adapt to this.

If we work together, we can fight this for as long as we are forced to.

Life has just been put on pause.

Yes, everything has been shut down or cancelled – but it’s not forever.

One day we will be able to press play again.

And I hope that when that day comes, I will never look at my life the same again.
I hope that I will never look at my fellow human beings the same again.

My dream for the world is crystal clear.

I hope that when we wake up from this nightmare, we will be an evolved species.
I hope we will look back and be proud of how we as a human race dealt with this problem. How we supported each other in times of great need. How we connected and loved. How we rebuilt countries and rebuilt communities.
I hope that we will have monuments for those who have lost their lives because of this and I hope that those of us who made it truly appreciate how lucky we are to be able to breathe.

I hope that I will take my second chance and run with it like wildfire.

Sending peace, love, kindness and compassion your way.