What it means “Normal”, “New Normal” and how it`s connected to Identity?

The intention of this post is really more of an expression of my internal thoughts and questions. As a result, I would be very much curious and interested of what are your point of views and perspectives on it, so perhaps after reading it please do comment below if it has any way made you wonder.

What is normal?

This question has always lingered in the background of my thoughts and perceptions, since my young age, when even though we are very similar as sharing common human experiences, we yet very unique. Still, to somehow feel that we belong or that we accepted, we try to follow a common theme to others, to feel that we are normal.

In the past years the promotion of diversity came to the forefront, which indeed helping us to accept more broader ways, yet happening the same thing. So instead of having 2 type of normal, now we have 20 different types, still trying to make sense of things, still trying to have a certain identity to belong to any of these types. I guess, this is just how we are, we would like to belong and be part of something, searching for commonalities and share our experiences with one another.

So where is the dynamic in this? Where is the living system which we are in?

Perhaps is like the nature around, always trying to return to balance. For instance, building a road, the road is there until we maintain it and use it; once we don`t use it anymore the nature comes in and soon will consume that concrete and create life there again. Similarly within our body, if for some reason one of the body parts loose it`s functioning, the body will recreate itself and other parts will take and try to reproduce that functioning and return to balance.

I guess what I am trying to say, that it is “normal” that we are looking for “normal” which perhaps we could call balance or comfort zone, which is like the moment of the time, static but dynamic. The present is in the moment, again and again, moment by moment. Which is perhaps the same with normal; something momentary. Normal is not just momentary, but also personal, just as time and the present, defined by each individuals perception.

So what is your “normal” or new normal now?

What is identity?

This is another interesting topic, which I have been always wondering about and somehow could never really grasp it; it`s because of my continuous changes, the moving between vocations, jobs, cities and communities. I have always waited the time when I can proudly say “I am this or that”, especially because people are asking this. This is what and how we are asking and try to define each other or to get to know someone, like “what is your occupation?” “What do you do?” “What are your hobbies?” “What is your nationality?” “What is your gender?” and so on. We try to make sense of things and we try to grasp it, label it and categorise it. Absolutely normal, I believe this is how our brain functions, and that`s okay.

This question also came up during our “World Cafe” conversational hours at the Mindful Workplace Community. How much is the identity of living in a way we do, rushing, working hard, consuming and more, became an identity? How mindfulness would have the ability to question this “normal”, to perhaps create awareness of how things could be different? What better could we create which is even beyond our imaginations?

So perhaps the question is, how much having an identity limit us and keep us in the perhaps static and normal, in the comfort zone? How much we are able to cope with ambiguity and holding both the meaning making and the nonsense, the normal and the new, again and again, moment by moment?

Thank you!