It is not enough to remove oneself from people, not enough to go somewhere else. We have to remove ourselves from the habits of the populace that are within us. We have to isolate our own self and return it to our possession.
Quote by Michel de Montaigne French Philosopher. He lived 1533- 1592.
This quote was written over 450 years ago. It could have been written today. What if the coronavirus can been seen through the lens of a “global retreat”… a global pause?
No doubt, coronavirus has forced most of us into isolation (social distancing). For some, this is terrifying. The fact you must be with yourself for hours on end is forcing us back into ourselves. This is an opportunity to question our beliefs or better stated, beliefs we have bought into (I’m somebody because or I will have made it when…. I have a Rolex watch, carry an expensive designer bag, drive a certain kind of car, have a big house, ….) For most, we have time to examine our habits and discern what supports us and what habits undermine us. We can explore our thoughts – what serves us… what doesn’t.
Now is the time. Don’t waste this opportunity to come back to yourself!
REFLECTION:
- What popular beliefs are no longer true for you?
- Are there habits that no longer serve you?
- Upon examination, what changes has this time of isolation offered you? What will you do differently going forward?