What holds real value?
The news encircling us from the past few months is a no-brainer; COVID-19 has demolished our economy and our peace of mind. What many of us are figuring out right now is that a lot of things that we valued a while back, holds little to no value currently. Perhaps, what is emerging at the forefront is the shift at figuring out what we find intrinsically rewarding.
When everything is as smooth as velvet, it appears that we have our life thoroughly computed to the T. It’s testing time like these that put a lot of things into perspective. It’s almost ironic to say that you are stoic when your coffee spills but it’s a different story when you see your fellow mortals collapsing and crumbling.
The challenge now becomes to wrap our discomfort into our values, because what we value is only meaningful if it’s important when life gets inflexible.
Vulnerability is not a choice, it’s the reality of life. In fact, in some ways we are vulnerable. We are vulnerable to viruses, mishaps, emotional attacks, fears and anxieties as well.
In the midst of a crisis, there is a whole chunk of people that are choosing not to wallow in distress and find out ways to de-stress and reflect. What really matters, in the end, is family, love, health and mother’s home-cooked food with a lot of ghee. (I guess the last priority is just limited to me?)
On a slightly indulgent note, one unexpected activity that many people are turning to, now that they have the time (and lack of choices) is cooking. Yes, cooking. My Instagram newsfeed and Whatsapp status’ are peppered with pictures where a lot of people seem to be turning into Chef de cuisine. Small yet magnificent cakes, crispy samosas, soft idlis and other delightful delicacies which can make your taste buds sing.
As prescriptive as something like baking is, it’s also a creative indulgence. The cakes need to be cooled before they are covered with the icing, new flavors are discovered and fond memories are made, irrespective of the results.
Snuggled in the comfort of your homes with your loved ones, it gives a chance to reorient yourselves with what truly matters, one muffin at a time. In fact, research also suggests that when people engage fully in activities that bring them pleasure/mastery, they can begin to overcome negative emotions and eliminate toxicity.
Now by no means do I intend to encourage hoarding the ingredients required to bake a cake and immerse yourselves to the sweet pleasures. Giving yourself the space to tune into what truly matters to you could come through any activity, not just cooking. (My friends with their Netflix accounts would be bobbing their heads right now.)
Change rolls on the wheels of inevitability. It is the only thing that is permanent. It is also stressful, but it shouldn’t necessarily be that way. Changes can bring in a lot of opportunities. That connection is not established immediately and it isn’t an abstract intellectual exercise either. It is an experience that demands to be felt and built.
We may assume things will always run smoothly but disruption is the rule rather than the exception. So dive right into the kitchen of your thoughts and get yourself cooking something that could change you for the better.
