While Coronavirus was keeping most of home—and largely still is—it didn’t stop Hawaii’s most beloved winter visitors: the majestic humpback whales. A few months ago, just prior to social distancing here, the whales were enjoying our warm waters on their yearly migration, and I was out for a walk along the coastline when I spotted a mama whale and her baby. Everyone dropped what they were doing to watch the mama teach her little one how to flap its giant flipper. The excitement was contagious (if I dare use that word!), and people starting calling out to complete strangers, “Hey, come look!”
Our hearts sing when we experience what makes us human: our awe for the miracles in nature, and what’s important, like family—just like the whale pods with their babies; it touches our humanity. Surprisingly, Coronavirus has done the same thing. Here’s how…
For most of us, due to COVID-19 our busy lives have screeched to a halt. For some, there is still a lot to do, such as those who still work, or who have families with kids, but for all of us there is less running around, nowhere else to go, and our lives have quieted.
Our world has come to a standstill, but why? This seemingly obvious question is the key one to ask ourselves.
The answer, despite the daily dire news of the virus statistics, is actually hopeful. Most importantly, in reality it’s not about of fear, since most of us aren’t afraid for ourselves. The real reason is revolutionary: it’s compassion. We’re staying home to keep others safe…not only our parents or grandparents, but also people we don’t even know—the elderly, and those who have fragile health.
Just think about that for a moment. The whole world immediately stopped business as usual—despite the economic ramifications—to help others! With a snap of a finger, the world joined in solidarity to choose compassion over greed.
It’s a momentous turning point for humankind.
What if, from now on, all of our choices and all our nations put people first? What if we and our world followed the virtue of compassion as our guiding principle? And what if this one choice “went viral” (in a good way!) to transform our lives and world for the better—at lightning speed? Stay tuned for the ways that is already beginning to happen.
Follow us at VirtuousWorld.org. Watch our clips on the ways Coronavirus offers lessons of how we can transform our world for the better.
Watch on You-tube and join the conversation on Twitter @Virtuous_Org. How have you seen more compassion lately? How can we foster compassion, to help those affected by coronavirus, and to create a compassionate world?
