14. What will the ‘New Normal’ Look Like? | #walkwithme
The world is on a bumpy journey to a new destination and the New Normal.
The world is on a bumpy journey to a new destination and the New Normal
Mohamed El-Erian
About This Episode:
In this episode of “#WalkWithMe” I talk about the ‘New Normal’ we’re in the middle of writing, and share the five key values I hope we will carry forward into a post-pandemic world.
There’s a lot of ‘new’ happening in my household while in quarantine, and I’m fascinated with what can become in the ‘New Normal.’
I’m still hearing comments like: “Once we’re through with this, we’ll get back to this” But, I don’t think there’s a ‘going back’ to the normal that was. What we’re going through right now is making a lasting imprint on our lives and on the world—not just right now, but when. I don’t know ‘when’ actually is. I do know there will be radical shifts.
What do you think the New Normal is going to have? Here’s what I think: It will shift our consciousness and cause us to re-evaluate our value systems and priorities as we not only “get through” this together but “grow” through it.
Here’s the 5 values I hope will resurface in the New Normal.
1 – Self-Care. I hope this entire experience causes us to make self-care of our mind, body and soul THE priority. In the past, many of us have prioritized careers over self-care, adopting a ‘keeping working and grinding’ mentality. Self-care is not a ‘should’ but a ‘must’; you can’t pour from an empty cup.
2 – Family and Community. I’d love to see us reprioritize the value of the family unit and the relationships we have with each other through relationships. I read a study of happiness that tracked a bunch of people over decades and found that the happiest were those who had real relationships.
3 – Appreciation for What We Have. We’ve been stuck in a system of trying to keep up with the Joneses, or wanting things we don’t have, or thinking, “When I get this, then I’ll be happy.” Most of us have more than we actually need.
4 – Unity. For the first time, at least in my life, we are unifying together as a human population to fight a common enemy: the virus. Ironically, while we’re physically distancing ourselves, we are more united than ever before.
5 – Faith. We have to believe that what is happening right now is not happening TO us, but rather FOR us. Ultimately, I hope that we can eventually shift our perspective to ask: What can be done THROUGH me to impact others? For me, that’s faith.
What would you like to see in the New Normal?