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EPISODE 97 – PODCAST TRANSCRIPT
Hi there, welcome back to Kelly Martin Speaks. I’m your host Kelly Martin and this is episode 97.
Today I am going to talk about why times of crisis can be a great opportunity.
Well, many across the world are probably feeling in a state of crisis right now. Not only personally but globally, countries are experiencing this current pandemic as a crisis.
During a crisis we may go through a lot of emotions, from sadness, panic, anger and frustration. We may feel lost, unsure of how we will ever get through it, but we also may find that crisis is the mother of invention.
When in crisis we discover that necessity awakens invention and the need for change.
At the moment, worldwide for example, governments are finding that they have to change a lot, how society operates, how people can be during this pandemic and as a result much invention is taking place. Invention in terms of scientific discovery is one way the crisis is provoking intelligent minds to work together for the good of the whole. In other ways, those issues that many were unhappy about, for example climate change, our overreliance on different motor vehicles and ways of heating our homes, travel and the pollution that being human can and does cause, is motivating ideas for new ways of doing things. And as many have seen clearer air and environmental changes, some leaders are using this crisis to develop new ways to travel and operate.
While some changes may take a long time, often when we are in the midst of crisis, the urgency of the situation fuels great invention and change at a much faster rate than would have happened without the crisis.
For our individual lives we now have time to rethink how we live, what we want, what works and what doesn’t. We have time to take better care of ourselves and work out the way forward through this crisis.
Some of us may discover we spend too much time with other people and feel over obligated to help too many. Others may discover that they spend too much time alone as it is and when the choice is taken away, this crisis is a reminder that different opportunities need to be grabbed when we come through all of this. For me, this will mean meeting more people, not less.
During global crises we realise how interlinked we all are, how our food chains are connected, how our trade routes connect us, how our travel destinations join us together through tourism and we find out that maybe relying on other countries for either food and trade or tourism as our main economic inflow is not sustainable long term.
Crisis Reveals What’s Not Working
The crisis reveals what is not working.
As people avoid public transport where possible, we come up with new ways to get from A to B. We start to investigate our local area in ways we never did before. We realise how much unnecessary travel we once did, how much wasted money we spent pre-crisis and we start to streamline and simplify our lives back to what is best for our wellbeing and own self-care.
We may realise we have mental health issues that need help or that financially we are less secure than we realised and we may begin to do better planning, find new ways to create potential income streams or we may find out that some of our relationships are not supportive anymore. So much can happen and does happen during a crisis.
At times like this, there can be a combination of danger and opportunity. It can be dangerous if we try to follow the same path as before or try to hold onto the comfortable known world and learn nothing, but it can also be a time of opportunity when we are prepared to face a new road, a new way of being human.
Unfortunately, during times of crisis some people don’t cope well. Those who don’t cope well possibly never live outside the linear structured way of life. Their lives were perhaps a mirror of many other people’s lives; they lived within the constraints of what society dictated and so when crisis arrives, they panic, some develop mental health issues, some blame government and society as a whole for not giving them a comfortable cushion to lie on until it is all over. Some believe that the government needs to tell us exactly what we can and can’t do in great detail, leaving aside our ordinary common sense.
And sadly, others really suffer and choose to commit suicide.
Those who enjoyed a settled, more neutral life with the appearance of the illusion of control may miss the opportunity at this time and suffer more.
The Time of The Rebel
Now, the rebels, the way-showers, the individuals out there, you will find a time of crisis scary but also invigorating. You will see the great opportunities that lie from not knowing, from everything not being certain in this new changing reality.
You will expect the unexpected, revel in the unknown.
As Osho says:
“Yes, a time of crisis is a very valuable time. When everything is established and there is no crisis, things are dead. When nothing is changing and the grip of the old is perfect, it is almost impossible to change yourself. When everything is in chaos, nothing is static, nothing is secure, nobody knows what is going to happen the next moment – in such a chaotic moment – you are free, you can change. You can attain to the innermost core of your being.”
“When society is in turmoil and everything is in crisis, chaos pervades – this is the moment; you can escape from its prison. It is easy because nobody is guarding you, nobody is after you. You are left alone. Things are in such a shape that everybody is bothering about his own business – nobody is looking at you. This is the moment. Don’t miss that moment.”
At this current time of crisis, we can try and hold on to the known or we can revel in the unknown. We can recognise how much we rely on other people or how much we were relied upon by others. We can look and see what is essential, from our basic needs to acknowledging how essential the different roles people play in life are, from shop worker to refuse collector and we transform our view of the world.
There is a very simple prayer, if you feel drawn to prayer at this time, and you may well know it, but I will share it anyway, it is called The Serenity Prayer and it goes like this:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; And the wisdom to know the difference.
There is more to this prayer, but I didn’t feel it was relevant at this time.
I wish for you during this crisis, that you discover new opportunities, that you are able to accept what you are not able to change and have the courage to change those things you can, and most of all, as the prayer said, you develop and awaken the wisdom to know the difference.
Take care and be kind to yourself.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Kelly Martin Speaks
If you have a question or topic you are struggling with and would like me to answer on an upcoming podcast episode, please get in touch. Your name will be confidential. EMAIL me at kellymartinspeaks@gmail.com or message me on Facebook via my page Kelly Martin Speaks.
And don’t forget, if you feel that others are passing you by and ‘The Not Good Enough’ voice is screaming loudly, pop by kellymartin.uk to find out all about my books, including Book 1 ‘When Everyone Shines but You’
You can also support my channel via my podcast page on my website kellymartinspeaks.co.uk via Paypal or buy me a coffee via ko-fi.
Until next time…bye for now
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Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
