From time-to-time, I ask my valued followers what you'd like me to write about. I feel it's fair to award the opportunity to engage with me in that manner and shape my content to your interests and preferences. The most pressing narrative of late has been about living through a pandemic with little social contact. My blog is an enjoyment journal, and therefore I’ll only touch on the points that I’ve implemented to keep me afloat during the pandemic.
In August of 2019, I stopped working full time in media. I had a fruitful career and wanted to take time out to pursue a passion that I did not have the time to venture into whilst having a permanent pressuring position in the media industry. On 31st August 2019, I started an intensive yoga teacher training course with the intention of turning it into my profession going forward. I loved being able to concentrate on the discipline full time and was excited to start my own yoga practice once completing the qualification. While studying, I ventured back into film, as before I was employed in media, I was active in front of the camera, featuring in commercials and dance videos. I was also a contestant in a reality TV show that I had won. I managed to secure an agent who had sent me frequently for castings during the period that I was a student. In January 2020, I landed my first come-back acting job and was part of a UK-based series. Following that, I was cast into a movie in which Jodie Foster had won a Golden Globe for her role as the best supporting actress. I had acting work on films lined up for the rest of 2020 and was one exam away from my teacher qualification. Life was amazing. I was following my dreams. Learning how to teach yoga and acting on the side. Nothing could have been better. My sister, who is a New Zealand citizen, came to visit me while I was shooting, and I enjoyed spending some quality time with her. On one occasion, during a sunny February afternoon, we had lunch together, and this was when we had heard about the virus in China for the first time. We spoke of how scary the situation was and how terrible it must be for the Chinese people to endure the horrendous disaster. Little did we know that it would be the start of a global shutdown. She departed for New Zealand at the end of February and subsequently missed the initial lockdown in South Africa. In mid-March 2020, the President addressed the nation and declared a 21-day lockdown in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus that, at that point, had hit South African shores. I got a message from a friend who had asked that I quarantine with her for the 3 weeks. You can read about that experience in my blog titled “Quarentine Queen”. On 23 March, I arrived at her house with a togbag of goodies to see me through for 21 days. I was only able to leave on 30th June 2020 once we had reached level 3 of lockdown. During this time, the film industry had shut down, all international flights were cancelled, and my yoga school had also closed and migrated to an online space. South Africa has been in a lockdown ever since, and the last day of "normality" was 22nd March 2020.
It has been 16 months of imposed control, limitations, restrictions, and strife. My yoga business plan was based on international retreats, and I was in the process of organising my first group getaway to Hawaii when the world had abruptly shut its borders. It has therefore been impossible to proceed and execute my plans. I was also working on international films, and that too had been few-and-far between, irregular, erratic, and totally inconsistent due to the rapid spread of the virus. In March 2021, after waiting for a year to continue with my work, I realised that it was a futile exercise to continue putting my life on hold and hence was forced to seek for opportunities elsewhere. I placed myself on the job market, and sadly, while many were losing their livelihoods, I miraculously received an offer for a contract in media again that had commenced in April 2021. Thankfully, I have been working daily ever since and also went back to university to upskill and further equip myself to deal with the fourth industrial revolution.
A friend, Dene Botha, who runs global youth programs recently stated, “If you consider the speed at which the world is currently changing and evolving; if you aren't learning something new and/or improving your life in some way, then you are standing-still and indirectly falling behind.” As challenging as the pandemic has been, I’ve made a conscious, concerted effort to channel my energy constructively and concentrate on self development by delving deeper into interests that I’ve been passionate about but never had the spare time to pursue. Through the process, I have acquired two incredibly invaluable skills that I'll elaborate on in a different and dedicated blog post. This has shifted my focus to a purpose-led space, thus keeping me grounded, balanced, and stimulated while isolating during lockdowns. It brings me so much joy to learn and grow and I am excited about the endless possibilities that these newly acquired avenues present. Whilst we remain physically stagnant, our minds certainly does not have to be as well. There are always solutions to everything. It is imperative to conjure up the courage and make the necessary changes. Social distancing is dauntingly difficult and as human beings, we inherently crave connection. Remember that we remain able to phone, message, and engage more intimately on a one-on-one basis, thus enabling quality-driven interactions. And yes, there are lots of what was once considered “usual endevours” that are currently deemed to be "privileges” that we have had to sacrifice and come to terms with, coupled with emotional, mental, and/or financial strain that undoubtedly could leave us feeling hopeless and in despair.
Finding strength and endurance is a voluntary decision, and at present, it is important to surround oneself with supportive influences and remain open to new ideas in keeping up to speed and abreast of an ever-evolving environment.
Evolving Environment by EJ for EJblogtv
an Enjoyment Journal about Everything EJ
xoxo