All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability.

The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.     

~ Bruce Lee

Moving towards completing our stay-at-home mandates, commonly referred to as the Pause, conversations are underway discussing what re-entry into our new world looks like.

While the what if’s and what could be are plentiful, the one constant is: we will not be returning to what was. Our ability to cope with unknown situations will determine how we adapt to the new normal.

I live alone and find myself one of the fortunate; I am healthy. I do not have school-aged children to homeschool, nor are front-line workers living within my walls. As a result, I have been able to manage with little contact with the outside world, except for taking groceries to my mother.

Because  I am a  freelance/independent contractor, the foundation had already been laid for understanding the lulls in life. Therefore, my mind did not have to make a significant shift to adapt to my current situation.

Although my income stream has ceased, as it has for many, my day-to-day activities are relatively the same. In many ways, I have been practicing the Pause for years.

Spending nearly 24/7 home alone has allowed me to:

Redefine my priorities
  1. Don’t stress over those things you cannot change. Doing so has freed me up to worry less and relax more.
  2.  Being busy for the sake of being active is not productive. I have deadlines that I meet and have learned to take moments to sit outside and listen to the birds or binge on a favorite show.
  3. Refrain from judging. Everyone is dealing with this situation the best they can.
  4. My career doesn’t define my worth.
  5. Generosity gives me immense joy.
  6. Living with less is fulfilling.
  7. Meditation has become non-negotiable.
  8. I like practicing the Pause. It has allowed me time to reflect and reboot. It is an opportunity to reassess how I want to move forward and what I am willing to let go of.


Many have found the Pause anxiety-causing and challenging. They are ready to return to the hustle and open the doors to the world. Although I do not have a crystal ball, I caution against expectations that life will be as it was. We must prepare with an open mind, ready to ride the waves as the tides change.

Looking inside may facilitate a more manageable re-entry into the new norm.

When we cannot go out, go inside:

Questions to reflect on:

  • What have you discovered about yourself during your stay at home?
  • What do you want to bring to the new standard you did not have before?
  • What did you believe you needed that you now realize you can live without?
  • What have you missed most?
  • What is the first thing you want to do?
  • What has your emotional state been, and are you content with that? If not, are you willing to let it go?

It is speculation what the rollout back into society will look like. Lives may be similar for some and drastically changed for others. Adaptability and flexibility will be needed in mega doses, and both are reached with a supple mind. Refraining from acting out with impatience can begin with simply taking a breath before we act.

Regardless, how we maneuver through the new norm is up to us. We are in this together; the storm is not over. So let us do the best we can.

As Maya Angelou says,

Do the best you can until you know better, then when you know better, do better.