An Onus on an Opportunity

I'm hoping to get back to my usual weekend routine of blogging and reading. When your daily routine has been interrupted through circumstances beyond your control, try to see it as an opportunity. 

People often quote that the Chinese word for crisis, weiji, consists of the characters for danger and opportunity.  Any major change in our lives, is the best opportunity to plant some new habits because the inertia of routine has been interrupted. It's like an intruder creating a diversion to distract the security guards.

For example, I'm trying to reintroduce an early morning routine again, by waking up at 5am. There was a time once when I used to go for a jog at 6am every morning. But this routine has been interrupted by one too many late social nights, which affected my sleep time. 

To wake up at 5am, I'll have to be in bed by at least 11pm, if not 9pm itself, to get 8 full hours of sleep. Since I don't have an active social life these days, I will try to be in bed before midnight so that I can join the 5am club again.

The 4 hours before 9pm is a most wonderful period of the day, if I could access it. I could meditate, exercise, journal, read and shower before the world even begins its day.  I get a head-start and it feels great to be on top of things when actual working hours begin. 

I've been waking up at 5am or earlier for the past 2 weeks. Now that I no longer need to go to the hospital to attend to my mum, I will use this newly inculcated habit to pursue a new set of routines. I'll still have to take care of mum at home during her recovery period but I'll get a lot of flexibility to slowly inject some productive time-slots into my day.

We will all succumb to physical decline and mortality one day. Caring for someone else who is undergoing this phase helps one to prepare for this inevitability. Life is what it is and you make the best of it, with strength, resolve and optimism.

I can only express my gratitude for the opportunity granted by this crisis. In the process, I know so much more about my own strengths and weaknesses. The onus is on me now to make the best use of this opportunity.