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Humans have seen troubled times before, but perhaps never quite like this. Certainly, World War I and World War II had huge global impacts, but not as quickly, nor as indiscriminately, as this world-wide pandemic.

There is a lot of talk now about future changes, and what the New Normal might look like ... .

Perhaps, first, we should take a hard look at the Old Normal – endless wars, political instability, escalating climate destruction, desperate refugees, homelessness, racism, mutual religious intolerance and millions living in scarcity, fear, and hopelessness while an elite few own the world’s wealth.

For those of us living in relative comfort, it is tempting to want to shut the door on all that unsavory stuff and wonder, “Why can’t it be simple, like it used to be, with no one sleeping on the street, and nobody shooting innocents in schoolyards and no infringements on the freedom to do as we wish?” We build walls, literally and figuratively, in an attempt to keep the rising tide at bay.

And here is why the Old Normal doesn’t work anymore: The illusion of separateness has been shattered. Global problems are our problems. Clearly, what affects one of us, affects all of us. There is no pretending, any longer, that we can isolate from the rest of the world. From Pearl Harbor, to borderless climate change, to COVID-19, we must acknowledge that we are not an island and cannot go it alone. The only way to make America great again is to join with global citizens to make the world great again.

Continuing the “us versus them” mentality is a path to mutual destruction.

So, what could the New Normal look like? With enough buy-in, we could gradually build a world where all have a chance to thrive, to include: a cessation of wars (which would go a long way toward healing the climate); a sharing of resources (this doesn’t mean we can’t live in comfort, it simply means sharing our bounty with others); a mindfulness of tolerance, kindness, empathy, and generosity; a new way of looking at everything based on an inclusive we-are-one mentality.

This may seem like a simplistic, naïve perspective. But ask yourself: Has war resulted in lasting peace? Has religious rivalry created tolerance? Will hoarding protect you from a warming planet? Has the retaliation method, of do-unto-others-as-they-have-done-unto-you ever solved anything?

These may satisfy the ego, but they are not a sustainable system, and no amount of wealth or isolation will protect us if we continue along this path.

Now, during this hard-stop on the “old normal,” is the time to reinvent our world. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love ... .”

Now is the time to choose, with love, to create a plan for New Normal. Please don’t say it’s not possible. It is possible if we choose it to be. Please join me in making it so.

Cate Schultz is a local author who writes to illuminate, empower, and entertain. Her latest book, “Soul Primer, Building Blocks of the Soul,” came out in March 2020. You can see more about Cate at http://www.CateSchultzAuthor.com