‘This was my exciting day,’ she said. Laughter. Irony. The days pass by, filled with little events, no spectacle, no FOMO. This is live under Corona, and it means being alive!

‘I have nothing planned anymore,’ she said, after the weekend was over. ‘Nobody has,’ she continued, ‘there are no plans anymore. It is weird, but it is ok, I guess.’ Silence. ‘It is ok, I guess,’ I confirmed.

From High to High

Many of us have been used to live up to the speed of our demanding society. Living from event to event, yet forgetting to live in between of those.

Starting the morning, looking forward to the evening after work; starting Monday looking forward to Friday night; ending holidays looking forward to the next one. Ending one event, looking forward to the next.

Living from one big dot on the timeline of life to the next one, forgoing all the small dots in between. Forgetting the flat line of daily life, trying to skip the gaps between the highs, not being conscious of the days just being alive.

Not kicking, but simply alive.

FOMO

No wonder our time invented such a thing as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). There are so many things happening, people want to make part of it all, causing anxiety, insecurity, and fear of not living enough.

Yet, by living from one event to another solely, from focusing from one high to the next one, they miss the pleasure of being in one event, they miss the pleasure of being in the next one, and they miss the pleasure of simply being alive.

Moreover, it is not about attending one festival, it is about attending the best one, at least three, and if possible, at least one abroad; it is not about going on one holiday, it is about making the travel of your life, the one everybody talks about, the one everybody would envy on your social media account. It is not about going out for diner, it is about going out to the best place, to the one everybody talks about; the one that fits in your Instagram profile. It is not about fearing of missing out, it is about fearing that others will think you are missing out.

From Dot to Dot

But while looking forward, looking to others, and looking around; we forget to look within; and we miss out on the most important event of all: life as such.

This is life under Corona, yet, this is life in its purest form. It is about waking up in the morning being thankful still being alive and healthy; it is about being conscious of the time you have; about the hours between morning and evening; about the days between Monday and Friday; the weeks between holiday one and holiday two.

This is life under Corona, it is all we will have for a while, and in fact, it is enough. It shows us the essence of life: being alive. Calm down, don’t live from peak to peak, but enjoy the flatline, find meaning in the little things, find meaning in just being alive.

The Flatline

Our lifestyles had become unsustainable anyways; too much consumption; too much transportation; too many big peaks, leaving ecologic, and to some extend also economic and social depths. Debt.

But, hey, look around you, look within, you are alive, and that is what really matters. All the others are luxury, add-ons. You might have taken them for granted, but they aren’t as obvious as we think.

Scale down your expectations, and you’ll see how surprised and happy you can be with the small things of life. When put in perspective, you’ll see that the flatline between the peaks might not be as flat as you feared. It is enough, and that’s ok, I guess. You’re alive, and that is what really matters.

Your enthusiasm and hope are the beating heart on the flatline; your capacity to give meaning to the small things is creating peaks on the flatline; you just being you and alive is what keeps the flatline alive, the one of you and the one of those who care about you.

That is enough, and that’s ok, I guess.