We are being offered a gift, a monumental, truly extraordinary opportunity. Yes the Coronavirus is a threat. Yes people are getting sick and some people are dying. Yes the Coronavirus is turning our lives upside down. Yes the Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on our economy – the world’s economy. But now what?
To slow the spread of the virus we are asking everyone to slow down, to take a breadth, and to take a pause. The Coronavirus is giving us a gift, an opportunity to examine the reality we have created and ask the question: Can we do better?
The answer is YES!
We have a magnificent opportunity before us to change course, change direction and usher in a whole new world of possibility.
Can we? Yes!
Should we? Yes!
Will we?
Though many attempt to deny this truth, deep within we know that we are spiritual beings on a physical adventure. We are the authors of our story – this story. This challenge, this crisis, is giving us an opportunity to reflect: Are we on track? Beyond this crisis is all going well? If we could change things, what would we change?
Now I get it. There are few things we human beings hate more than change. But look, change is being thrust upon us. So why not seize the opportunity and make substantive, positive change in our nation and our world now?
Despite knowing we’re on a spiritual journey most of us operate grounded in physical reality. We have come to believe, we teach our children, and we behave as if, after making some provisions for health and relationships, what matters most is money. Why? Because we believe money makes everything else possible in our lives. This notion that money is the prime mover is just not true. It is a delusion – a very persistent and pervasive delusion. Right now we have an opportunity to reset society in light of current circumstances even as we cling to this delusion.
The basis of our economy is wants and needs. People want and need products and services. To satisfy wants and needs people do things for each other. Fundamentally money is a tool to facilitate human beings doing things to benefit one another. It is that simple. Money is a tool of trust – people’s trust in one another.
Let’s use money in response to this crisis to actually reinforce its purpose and do things to benefit one another.
To stem the spread of Coronavirus we are forcing our economy to a grinding halt – not completely, but substantially. Government is proposing massive stimulus to ensure markets remain liquid. Government is proposing to maintain the status quo. I’m suggesting we do better.
Government largesse – giving to the well-connected – business as usual erodes trust. Ensuring megabanks and large corporations have enough to pay exorbitant salaries and bonuses is status quo destroying trust. It’s time to think of new and better solutions. We have an opportunity to restore and build trust on an unprecedented scale. It’s time to implement a truly novel concept: for government and corporate America to come together and do something for the collective good.
- How about a multi-trillion dollar infrastructure package to bring the United States into the twenty-first century?
- How about initiatives to bring people together and empower the masses instead of enriching the few?
- How about initiatives to create and adopt clean energy sources and improve our energy efficiency and thereby contain humanity’s broadening footprint?
- How about finally deciding if the medical system is supposed to be about profits or health?
- How about determining party and power are less important than people and prosperity?
Taking advantage of this Coronavirus opportunity will take leadership (I’ll say more about that on Friday) for now just realize we have a magnificent opportunity wrapped in this crisis. Are we willing to lean forward and act to make things better?
The time for us to act is now. It’s time for us to come together and make smart choices to set our nation and our world on a new path.
We have an opportunity before us. What are we going to do with it?
Think about it!
#crisis #opportunity #leadership #change #resilience
Scott F. Paradis