I recently finished watching all of the seasons from Sex & The City. Yes, a little late to the game, but during a global pandemic and the recent wildfires the Pacific Northwest has been experiencing lately, it was my way of distracting myself from the outside world. I don’t regret a second of it.
I found myself relating a lot to Carrie. As a writer, I had found her inspirational (fictional character of course) but still provided a lot of wisdom. There were many moments I thought she was making the wrong decisions, however, most of the time she provided a lot of truth, insight, and thought provoking statements.
As I look at the current state of our world, I wonder, has this global pandemic taught or shown us anything that is worth noting? Have we overvalued the wrong things and undervalued the right things? Have we shifted how we value people?
Anything Worth Noting?
Prior to the pandemic, the world was in a constant non-stop mode. Rushing out the door every morning to only find yourself arriving late to the office, again. Texting people instead of taking the time to actually call someone. Too busy for days, weeks and even months at a time that quality time needed to be scheduled on a calendar.
How many times can we recall the moments we said we were too busy? Too busy to talk, too busy to listen, too busy to eat a meal, too busy to hug and too busy to love. There needed to be a breaking point and the global pandemic was the key to force the world to reconnect again.
Yes, I’m sure most of us miss the personal interactions of actually meeting up for a lunch date, scheduling movie night with friends, or going on a morning stroll to grab coffee at the nearest Starbucks. I miss it for sure, but what I’ve observed is we have been checking in with each other more than ever before. Our conversations have gone on a deeper level as to how we are coping, what we are feeling from a mental and emotional standpoint and what is currently happening in our lives.
Overvalued vs Undervalued
Let’s begin what each of these terms mean. Overvalued: overestimate the importance of. Undervalued: fail to appreciate.
We overvalued material things and undervalued the simple things that truly made us happy. Having gone through a lock down, quarantine, and forced to stay inside because of toxic smoke in the air from all of the wildfires occurring in the west coast…I had missed the simple notion of being outside and breathing clean, fresh air. Nature brings me joy, tranquility, and peace.
I’m sure we can all remember being kids and how we enjoyed the pleasures of playing outside. As a child, we had no distinction between lower class, middle class, and upper class. There were, however, a few of us who had people reminding us where we stood.
Bullied because your lack of financial stability predicted your entire school experience. Insulted because your skin-tone made you feel worthless. Critiqued because your weight and appearance defined your beauty.
Has much of it changed since? There is a constant pressure to fit within a box and be molded into acceptance. Money, success, degrees, appearance and material things define who we are as individuals.
What happened with the values we grew up with? More and more I have seen that not much has changed. People are still being undervalued based on how they lead their life, their profession, their education, their personal assets, their sexual orientation, and who they choose to love at the end of the day.
Shift in Value
People often say that the very things that are worth achieving in this life will often be the hardest and the most easiest things won’t be worth obtaining. We were taught to strive for success which leads us to believe that the higher the paycheck, the higher our worth. Apparently, this equivalates to finding Love.
When considering a relationship or a lifetime partner, the first key points to consider have been: What is their profession? How much do they make? Can they sustain themselves and a family? Do they have a degree? What car do they drive? What is their living situation like (rent, own, roommates)? We’ve found ourselves creating a grocery list of criteria and constantly checking off these items one by one. Yet, we have forgotten important aspects: character and heart.
I often wonder if the points mentioned currently overshadow who a person truly is. How many times have we found ourselves feeling like we were never enough no matter what we did? I’m sure many of us can relate when someone mentioned to us that on paper our qualities were great, but in person something just wasn’t there.
One can strive to be the best, but I have found that people will always keep wanting more. As humans, we are never satisfied and will want the next best thing. This has placed an unrealistic value within ourselves in hope that someone else can place a bid.
So again, does it really matter? Shouldn’t choosing who you want to be with come down to chemistry, connection, character and heart? The way we treat each other is important.
Conclusion
So many deaths have occurred this year. People have loved and have lost. Those who still surround us today are a blessing.
The hardest part is to love, but to lose it is even harder. People are going off of a checklist instead of choosing happiness. It’s rare to see someone who follows their heart.
As much as we have stated during this global pandemic and everything else 2020 has thrown at us, that we will value the simple things in life and no longer take anything for granted…can we truly say that our perspective of how we view people has changed? Will the checklist still exist post Covid?
I believe that we will walk out of this pandemic with the same perspective and expectations. I see it around me and I see it within friends and family. Sadly, many of us will not have learned the true meaning of life.
At the end of our life, we don’t die with money. Someone said to me, “Money is a man–made thing. At the end of the day, we are still the same people without it.” I hope we walk away from this global pandemic appreciating what truly matters in this life and to remember what is valuable: nature, people, happiness, and love.
I hope you all have the courage to pursue your hearts desire. To fight what is worth fighting for. To have less regrets and know at the end that you tried, but above all you loved.
Do you think these times of uncertainty has changed the way we value people? Comment below and let me know your thoughts.
