If you are like most humans in 2020, you are now deep in the world of Zoom. Zoom school, Zoom conference calls, Zoom doctor’s appointments, Zoom cocktail hours, Zoom yoga… our lives are literally being lived via Zoom.
Although it’s not the perfect solution to a pandemic, it does allow us a way to stay connected in some sense.
Living in our Zoom world, we are invited into people’s personal space and that includes all of it’s imperfect glory! Kids crashing through the door demanding snacks, pets relentlessly begging for attention, and oblivious partners streaking in the background (just to name a few!)
In our experience, when these snippets of life seep into other people’s Zoom windows, we show them compassion and understanding by saying “this happens to me all the time” or waving at their toddlers that refuse to take a nap because mommy’s on a much more interesting work meeting.
But when our presentation doesn’t open up like we practiced or when our kids burst into our office while we’re in an important meeting, our self-doubt creeps in and our self-judgement starts criticizing “you’re such an idiot… people are going to think you’re <insert insecurity here>... You can’t do anything right...”
Our negative reel gets stronger when we are forced outside our comfort zone and living in a pandemic is outside all of our comfort zones.
Zoom has intruded into our homes and exposed what we usually choose to keep private. We are literally meeting with our co-workers in our bedrooms!
But the silver lining is that we’re reminded we are all human. Most of us have the same expectation to have things run perfectly, especially when we have put so much effort and preparation into the work and into our picture perfect lives. We get frazzled, annoyed, anxious, or even embarrassed when things don’t go according to plan and that seems to be the universal reaction.
The true human connection happens when we realize there is no such thing as perfection.
When the curtains are drawn back and real life seeps into your Zoom world, take a breath and remember that everyone else on the other side of the screen is giving a sigh of relief because we too are not perfect and that’s just being human.
With love,
Ming-Wai + Ming-Cee
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