Hi reader,

First of all, thank you to all who reached out to know about my health. I am doing perfectly well, thanks for all your wishes. Hope to be fully recovered soon! 

We all have studied or heard of Darwin’s theory of evolution, Survival of the Fittest! Right? Darwin did not consider the process of evolution as the survival of the fittest; he regarded it as survival of the fitter because the “struggle for existence” (a term he took from English economist and demographer Thomas Malthus) is relative and thus not absolute. Instead, the winners with respect to species within ecosystems could become losers with a change of circumstances. ^[Source]

Change, something we all got accustomed to while growing up. Something we all experienced in our lifestyle in the past 1-2 years of pandemic. Something we at times try to bring in, or sometimes comes on its own in different circumstances. Change is something that we all know, and something that we all ADAPT to! 

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future!

John F Kennedy

Even if we refer to one of the best books, Bhagwad Geeta, there also it says the Change is the Universal Law! An individual needs to adapt to the changes or face challenges. 

In the past 2 years, we all experienced a paradigm change in our lifestyle. Mostly if not everything is changed. Children having schools on a screen, people working from their bedrooms, all the interactions going virtual, getting all the daily chores done on our own, travel restrictions, wearing masks while going out.. the list is endless, and this is what the whole world adapted in the past couple of years. Challenging it was, but needed, and hence adapted. 

One thing, that all the endemics and pandemics records show, how good are we humans while going through these changes. But are we?

Change for good is good, no doubt about it. But change for only personal favor and personal comfort, is that good?

Remember, how dark the different waves of COVID-19 were, where each of us held together, supported each other physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, financially, and socially. We all were affected somehow, we all wanted to come out of it, and we are getting out of it. We brought the change in our lifestyle to be able to do that. Whether it was going back to prayers, or checking up on each other, or arranging medicines for someone, or just making the other feel that yes we care, we all brought these small changes that we had lost long enough before the pandemic (at least few of us would have definitely lost some of it). And, this actually brought us closer. The feeling that someone cares for you, is one of the most beautiful feelings! 

But, as every coin has two faces, we have another face of it. What is happening now? Covid cases are going low, vaccinations are pacing up and people are participating (Good). The world is opening up, travel restrictions are slowly lightened, tourism is getting started, hotels and restaurants are slowly returning to business, offices are opening, schools are partially opening, and many more that you may be more aware of depending upon where you are located. In short, we can say that the world is returning to old normal. 

So far, everything seems fine, right? How many people do you know have actually started to return to the office? How many children do you know have started to go to school, or park, or for some actual physical activity? No, I am not saying that everyone should go out at once. Follow all the guidelines and precautions as mentioned by the Health Authorities and Organizations. However, what I wish to say here is, how we transformed from the change adapted for the better of the world to the change that is favorable and comfortable to us. 

We all have been reading news of how people have mixed responses about returning to offices. Interesting fact, you go to Starbucks, and you will have to wait as most of it is occupied with people working from Starbucks. Go to any other cafes or restaurants, all have waiting periods. And yes, how can we forget the staycations and working from mountains and beaches. Wow, a pandemic! 

Saying no to return to office in the name of pandemic and then hanging out/working from other coworking spaces, that is a contrasting reality of modern times, and I am not a lawyer here for any side, though when I resumed office, I noticed few people who were part of our lives before the pandemic, and they may need us now! Remember the cab driver who used to wait for you even when you were late? Remember the guard at the reception who greets you the best way every day that not even your life partner will do? Remember the support staff of the office, who used to bring your favorite coffee right at your desk (sometimes when you not even have asked for it)? Remember the chacha-ki-Dukan, where you or maybe your colleagues used to bitch around and de-stress. These are just a few examples, just remember what all people you used to interact with before the pandemic, and also think about what is happening now? to them? 

All the offices, in absence of a workforce, have reduced these headcounts. And here, not even talking about the offices which are permanently closed. Pandemic was responsible for all these job losses, but now, who is responsible? 
I can understand that we all work for comfort, and we all have different challenges. Some have just married and wish to spend time together, where WFH is really great option. Some have very young kids for whom vaccines are not available, and have to take care of them, also how good it is to spend time with kids which was not that much possible earlier. Also, the daily commute was very cumbersome and tiring, so there also WFH is a good option. But, can’t we bring a little CHANGE again for all those people who also have these challenges but still are happy to return as this is how they earn? Can’t we bring a balance between our leisureful comfort and support for the community by taking a little extra pressure (for the good of others)?

Supporting other people is not just the only reason, there are many other factors too. Real Estate, jobs at real estate, jobs supporting real estate, job supporting – jobs supporting real estate, yes, and so on. It is just food for thought, I can’t change your decision, but as per my experience, with 3-4 hours of travel a day, it feels fantastic to be back at the office! A few people say that you have a great team and bunch of people that you love going back to, but all those people and that bond was only created when I went to the office, who knows you get even better when you go! We all have the best bonds with the people we have actually spent time with in person. So, just if that motivates! 

Friend, this is just one example of how we humans, the social animals, just twist around with very basic things and make them favorable as per our needs. It is comfortable to us and available for us to make anything out of the given situation, but every action has a reaction too. The change we adapt may bring a change for someone which can be very tough to adapt. What change you bring in can matter a lot!

To our future generations, the world will always be like this. We will try to make it better but even if we can’t, then be prepared because we all are so greedy of comfort, leisure, self-importance, self-dignity, ego, and personal success, that we will just keep doing the same. Someone will make a change in their behavior, maybe at your organization or school or family or maybe in your friends, that can be uncomfortable for you, challenging for you, and at times feeling to quit may look a better option (and can be too). However, this is what you will have to fight for, to survive for, to stay fit for, regularly, as it is always the “Survival of the Fitter!”

Cheers!
– Navneet