The world we used to know exists no more, so it's up to us to create a world better than the one we knew.

The world we used to know exists no more, so it's up to us to create a world better than the one we knew. We are a communal people, but we haven't been a true community for a very long time. We are divided by hatred, greed, racism, ethnocentrism and politics, to name a few. Now, we are bound together in fear of an unknown assailant, COVID-19 or coronavirus. How worried should we be?

Let's call it what it is, an equal opportunity killer of families, hopes and dreams. But maybe this virus will force us to stop complaining and fighting among ourselves. Maybe this is divine intervention taking aim at our negative ways of behaving and thinking, putting us on high alert for destruction, warning us of internal combustion and non-existence. Maybe this has happened at epochal intervals since the beginning of time and has led to decimation of ancient civilizations. Maybe this is our wake- up call.

What this coronavirus scare tells us is, we don't need so much excess in our lives. Maybe all we need is close contact with only the essential people in our lives; the rest we can keep at a distance, especially those who cause us to feel diminished, fatigued, or in conflict with ourselves and our integrity. We have needs that must be attended to and we have wants, but wants can be negotiated. Once basic needs are met, the things we want can be streamlined to focus on a few luxuries or they can be eliminated altogether. Cutting back on non-essentials would provide more time for appreciating each other and enjoying the precious few moments that we live.

If we followed a regular routine of focusing on necessities, our lives might become more organized and peaceful in a matter of weeks. Spiritual benefit can be found in practicing only a few of the following:

• Tackle one thing at a time.
• Sit and reflect five minutes each day.
• Write and record memories.
• Smile from the heart.
• Volunteer and serve. 
• Do housework as meditation.
• Separate wants from needs.
• Live simply with self-respect.
• Walk and practice mindfulness.
• Make peace with your unacknowledged, inner self.
• Live with humility and respect for others.
• Find faith and hope.
• Set boundaries for others.
• Draw or take photos.
• Live one day at a time.

Coronavirus is not a greater force than faith, hope, and love of ourselves and others. Coronavirus emerges from a very negative space that the world allowed to open. If we take coronavirus as a warning to a world fueled by hatred and ill intent, a world on the brink of self-annihilation, we can change our destiny. With faith and hope in each other, anything is possible. If we could see this devastating disease as an opportunity to join together and work together, we could focus on changing our thoughts and our view of others in this world. In unity, there is possibility because there is hope and faith. Maybe coronavirus will have an impact, but we can have the last say.We can join hands and build a strong sense of community in this nation and throughout the world.