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These stories we are living can have as much meaning, as much impact (negative or positive) as we intend them to have. Do you have a story of immorality and self-destructive behavior in your youth? Perhaps this behavior was followed by personal redemption in your adulthood? Or maybe yours has a rags to riches theme? High school science teacher to black market methamphetamine production? Tireless struggle? Spiritual strength? Whatever your story has been up until now is your life history (past). In this very moment, new history is being written in the book of your life story. Through every word you utter, every action you take, every interaction you’re party to, your ongoing story has an impact on the world as a whole. Think of your story in terms of its capacity to have a social butterfly effect. Would you like to leave the world knowing that you’ve added more beauty than ugliness? More goodwill than animosity? Now, is always the only time you can decide to practice that goodwill, or make the effort to add that beauty.

Without roots, trees could not stand through environmental storms. Without roots to our stories (where we have been until now), we would be unprepared to stand through the metaphorical storms of life, and therefore less likely to get where we want to be by the end of our personal story.

Setting forth the intention to take personal responsibility for the energy one puts out into the world is no easy objective. Many of us are raised in the belief that it is our right to behave however we want and the others “…will just have to deal with it!”. Therefore, it takes effort to switch certain social habits from self-centered (egocentric) to other-centered (altruistic). Nevertheless, we humans have an amazing propensity for rising above learned dysfunction and reorganizing our belief systems to harmonize with those that promise the most beneficial outcome for all involved. Humanity has historically risen to the challenges of pandemics and the fear-based (self-centered) behaviors acted out during those pandemics. During these times, if we were to consider the finest qualities of being human as those that bring the most healing to the rest of the world, then the quality of altruism (selflessness) would top the list. Intentional altruism will see us through this pandemic, as it has many times in our history. Practiced altruism also seems to be the healthiest personal strategy to adopt during (and after) this pandemic. Humanity is always Us.

Looking ahead, I saw a vast expanse of bright white ice formations in all directions. In cloud-like arrangements, there were stacks upon stacks of the purest frozen snow fragments, stretched out to infinity. Constantly reorganizing, shifting without reason, floating in space. No signs of melting, no further freezing, no solidity, no liquidity. Only instability. Fully aware that I must find a safe pathway through this indescribable plasma-scape, I dared to venture forward. As soon as I decided to make my move, my heightened awareness desperately seeking a clear path through the white wilderness, I realized that I could no longer perceive simple directives like, up, down, forward and reverse. Perceiving only white upon white, with no defining edges, no shadow, no depth of field, I was stuck, immobilized, before I could begin. I was hopelessly lost in an alien reality.

In what was likely a nanosecond of subconscious free association, I had rendered an internal motion picture of the future before us. Exponentially evolving, yet familiarly unknowable.

We will find our way through this global health crisis just as we have found our way through countless others. We’ll tap into the greatest strengths we human beings possess while simultaneously overcoming our gravest weaknesses. And then we’ll move forward together, with a newly evolved awareness, one that has further matured in understanding and compassion for our shared human experience.