In a Monsoon
When you hear the word monsoon, you probably think rain. Lots of rain, flash floods, too much water, unbearable storms, that pound the area and relentlessly fall to the ground. And while there are more technically sound definitions that are related to “reversing winds, seasonal changes, and atmospheric things,” the monsoon is what it is.
If you have ever been fortunate to live or visit a tropical climate for an extended period, you may have experienced a “monsoon-like” phenomenon, where heavy rain will pour down relentlessly for a short period. However, while it is happening, it feels like it is going to destroy things. Roads get flooded, trees are flailing, windshields are low visibility, and it looks like someone has emptied the heavens on top of you. And yet, just as quickly as it comes, it goes, and within minutes the sun has come out, and things dry up. Within the hour, minus the evidence of humidity, the area affected is as if the monsoon never came.
The reality is, the areas that can take advantage of the rain have done so. You can see that evidence in the lushness of the lawns and plants and trees around. Cars and anything that were in the way may still have the watery droplets still lying around, and if you have left anything dry out, it probably isn’t any longer.
Monsoons are very similar to how we sometimes have problems in our lives. We might be living through one of the worst monsoon seasons ever, with things like the Coronavirus and social injustice and financial instability, and so many other things are happening. But just as the monsoon passes, so will this. And we need to take a moment and examine the areas that take advantage of storms.
Farmers depend on heavy monsoon seasons to help push their plants along. A significant amount of the world’s food comes from farms that would be affected by a drought, and so the monsoon is welcomed. One of the fantastic realizations is that we can take a page out of the farmers’ approach and plant into yourselves knowledge and understandings during this time. If you take advantage of this extra time, you may be able to do a number of the following.
- Spend Inventory — many of us have been able to slow down for the first time in a long while and examine where we frivolously or purposefully spend out money. When the quarantines and other things lift, how will this affect our spending in the future?
- Time inventory — In the same regard, with extra time, and more time spent at “home,” many are discovering new things about people they have lived with forever. How will this affect your relationships in the future? When the world tries to get back to normal, will the way you treat your relationships now regress to pre-COVID times?
- Skills Inventory — Hopefully, you are taking the time to plant into yourselves more knowledge. Not just complete Netflix and binge-watching, but taking advantage to cultivate your lives and skills. Many Universities and online schools are offering “free” or “reduced-cost” courses, and numerous tutorials are abounding for just about anything you want to learn.
Take advantage of this monsoon, and everyone to come because more will come. Make sure you are anchored and know how to shelter yourself. And when the next storm comes, let it wash away things that may not be so necessary, and invest in a better you. It isn’t easy to do, but it is worth the extra effort to come out, lush, green & hydrated as a better version of you.
