Dr Asangba Tzudir
Reset, Rediscover, Recommit
The world within the expression of its uncertain nature gave humanity a costly COVID-19 exactly after a century since the outbreak of the Spanish flu pandemic. The pandemic brought about a ‘new normal’ which has also created a dilemma between adaptation and return to normalcy.
However, this COVID-19 pandemic and the new normal has actually presented a window to envisage and re-create another new normal. Contextually, re-creation of such a new normal calls for resetting, rediscovering and recommitting life and its associated living beyond simple existence.
Like in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, a new liberating world is presented for us to see and recreate a new normal beyond the Covid-19 normalised life. The agenda of recreating requires understanding and perception of higher levels of ‘reality’ in order to ‘trespass’ into the new world and let life encounter the new realities. Like Archimedes, these are the defining ‘eureka’ moments of truth that will serve as the launch pad and help move onwards from adaptation to innovation.
While adapting is like flowing into a new normal, innovation requires finding the light to see the new world presented. This part of the struggle may be called ‘resetting’ life towards recreating a new world. But once reset, “you cannot enter the same river water twice” for the opportune moments of time cannot be reverted back.
In the new COVID-19 normal, besides other ‘rituals’, virtual and online mode overtook our lives especially in the world of academia which somehow put life on a fast track. It was an ‘adventure’ for a life that was in need of rejuvenation. A rediscovering is paramount to suit the recreation of the new normal.
It is understood in various contexts but not one that calls for ‘digging’ up bones. The COVID-19 normal has opened up ways to rediscover oneself, and for those who has begun the pursuit of facing life’s realities, a rediscovery is desirable beginning with finding oneself. This begins with a ‘reconceptualization’ of the externally misconstrued identity forms that has for so long created doubts in one’s mind and which acts as a bottleneck from finding oneself.
Especially for the youngsters trying to manufacture one’s consent, it finds rooted in four fundamental questions - what I love to do? What I am good at? How do I get paid? What the society needs from you? The key lies in finding the intersecting point of these four questions. This intersection point can be discovered only when one can strike a balance which then will be the ‘Eureka’ moment of life in finding the real passion – a force that will constantly disturb the mind to innovate, invent and act.
The COVID-19 pandemic provided the opportunity to use our newfound unscripted time to rekindle and innovate life to meet the ever growing challenges. It requires finding that one spark that triggers intellectual curiosity, and also one that feeds and nourishes the soul and help learn and grow in new ways.
Coming to recommitting, it calls for a renewal and a return to the basics of life in every field of human activity. In every activity of life, the greatest challenge and the ultimate test of discipline lie in the ability or inability to do routine works regularly, and which is detrimental to success or failure. As such, recommitting calls for disciplining by rigorously following the routines. After all, a life that has set into resetting and rediscovering, recommitment is and ought to follow.
Above all, in recreating a new normal within all the unexplained and the mysteries of life and the things beyond our comprehension and control, and the human limits, we need to allow the divine power to help find the light to perceive the new world.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
