beeing materialistic - in lockdown

After considering thoughtfulness during lockdown and my effort to try and focus on what is in front of me, what’s in my home, head and heart. I'm now pondering the need for material wealth. Over 10 years ago, on my return to the U.K from New Zealand, I visited a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition, at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry. On display, as well as paintings, were many notes and examples of inventions he had created. One quote in particular, stood out to me from the rest and remains etched in my mind today:

“One can have no smaller or greater mastery, than mastery of oneself.”

Reading this, from the perspective of someone battling Bipolar Disorder on a daily basis, I found the words profound and true. Literally nothing in this life, is more important than our relationship with ourselves. This affects: how we behave, feel and present to the world. We can be our own best friend, as well as our own worst enemy. Our mind overflows daily, with endless thoughts, our internal voice whirring and chattering, our stream of consciousness flowing. We choose, probably without even realising, how to respond to each and every thought. This could be positively: with a feeling of happiness, joy, contentment, peace, love, hope, pride, accomplishment. Or, in complete contrast, negatively: with feelings of sadness, fear, despair, anger, disparaging, anger, self-loathing, disgust, disappointment.

As a novice songwriter, returning to my homeland, my dream shattered, in a state of total despair, Da Vinci’s quote encouraged me to put pen to paper. I wrote the lyrics:

As the great artist said

The one simple goal

For all of mankind

Is to master the soul

The greatest joy

Is to know yourself

We have no need

For material wealth.

I’m no therapist. I only have lived experience. But as we enter week 7 of lockdown, with many people beginning to struggle with their mental health & wellbeing, change of circumstance and daily life…. These lyrics come to mind again. Maybe, we should be looking internally, to try and regulate how we feel. We are in charge of ourselves. We are our own best friend. As opposed to looking externally, relying on material objects, things, wants and needs. If there’s one thing we’ve all learnt in 2020, this virus is not choosy, rich or poor, with more, or less….