We are in the middle of a process of glocalization – the localization of the global. We produce locally, learn a trade, grow our own food, reforest forests, promote biodiversity, research vaccines – and change the world. The motto is: Growing together! Even the loss of assets and some amount of control does not hurt as much as expected, because our focus has shifted: our focus is now on family and solidarity.
Gratitude is a question of understanding, and not everyone shares the same opinion on that. Are we missing something? If we are honest, we find this is usually not the case. Crises come and crises go, but they always bring us opportunities – and if we understand them correctly, we can turn opportunities into successes.
What we need to do is reflect on the past, draw the positive from it and look to the future. Normalcy as we have known it until does not exist. Perhaps the boom years from 2015 to the beginning of 2020 were not “normal,” but we extracted from them what was possible and to a great degree. Now, as we approach the limits of many of our natural resources, we realize we have taken much from our planet but have given little in return to safeguard what remains.
As we experience unprecedented changes, we need a new mindset, a frame of reference from which future generations can productively draw. Our environment is changing with weather patterns. Fixed geographic points disappear, new ones arise, arrange themselves differently. Medical science is running fast to catch up with the new shape of our world in the era of COVID-19. Still, science cannot run fast enough. There is less security for us in this destabilizing process of change. A new world is emerging, however. We have the power to invent and, hopefully, successfully manage it .
Let’s dive into the “rainy season – re-gnose” (Matthias Horx): It’s the end of 2020, a cold December evening by the fireplace, a glass of fine wine is in your hand. Outside there is snow, and you think “How pristine nature is,” the air is full of energy, life decelerates and finally you feel what true pleasure is. If we are honest, we can proudly and without denial say we will emerge stronger from this pandemic. What we value most in life is at the forefront again: maintaining good health and spending time with loved ones. The hectic pace of our technologically infused lives has been reduced to the essentials.
We feel humility again and experience a new understanding of gratitude. We have become more attentive, learning to appreciate family and experience it anew. Our daily contacts and the way we communicate have changed fundamentally, and we are amazed at how positive the effect is. We feel the true values of what it means to be human again, while egoism becomes obsolete and solidarity comes into focus.
Our nearly forgotten qualities of politeness and courtesy reappear. A miracle? No, but the consequence of having to change our lives overnight is good because we all need the support of others. Many things become superfluous, hysteria disappears, possessions lose their value. Love, health and self-satisfaction are the new gold standards.
Communication in the digital age is a reality for all of us – even for those who find it hard to deal with, who are afraid of it or even rejected it thus far. We are restricting our travel, holding online meetings instead when it’s necessary and appropriate, using the technologies we have in place for efficiency, and thus preserving and creating more time for family. Surprisingly, and contrary to our assumptions, productivity is increasing and decreasing, depending upon the industry sector. Previously collapsed markets are experiencing a boom of reinvention!
Accessibility means commitment again; superficiality gives way to importance! Time, our greatest asset besides health and family, regains importance. We take time to consider, create and invent what will be relevant in the future. Objectivity without Chichi and Bling-Bling is rewarded with new luxuries: walking, cooking, reading, engaging in good conversation. We experience a new life, even though each of us stands frighteningly close to the abyss of a global pandemic. So, our values change, and we let go of what is not important. In the rhythm of managing the crisis, we break away from our old behaviors.
But how are we to cope in this new paradigm? Our acquired mindset, technology, medical progress and social intelligence help us to do so. Thanks to the crisis, our culture is experiencing a boost, and what is important to us has been redefined. Technology remains a driver for efficiency, but it is the artisan work done by hand that is another new luxury. What do we learn from all this? Humanity and solidarity shape our thinking more successfully than does modern technology. The world has not stopped, and our vital systems have not collapsed, but new paths have been defined. There is still much to learn about our new values because they shape our mindset of how we consciously perceive the future. The processes of unlearning and relearning now challenge us. Routines and habits are breaking apart to pave the way for something new – and better!
Glocalization – the newest luxury paradigm will show us how important it is to return to true values. Close physical distance is less necessary, but closeness is growing in the form of family and solidarity. Based on this evolutionary process, we are reinventing our way of life!