Reflecting on my lockdown story - Discovering Truths
have spent the lockdown at Kamba Farm, the farm which our company Kambre Agro Industries is building up 50 km outside of Pune based on permaculture and restorative farming / regenerative farming principles.
I acknowledge the privilege to be able to live in the countryside rather than in a major city at this time – plenty of fresh air, space and nature around. Not being confined to four walls and having enough space to be able to move around quite freely, is certainly a blessing.
But hey, I am not here to gloat! Through this article, I intend to share a few discoveries with you; my moments of "truth" if you may. Here is what I learnt about life and entrepreneurship in a short span of Lockdown 1.0 - 4.0, that in itself seems like a lifetime –
There is a difference between ‘recognition’ and ‘realisation’ of essential needs ‘. Though my lifestyle is quite minimalistic, I am a person who is always prepared. So, when I had to abruptly leave my city home and move to the farms, with absolutely no time on hand to plan or prepare for anything, I grabbed the items which I recognised to be most essential for me. The list included some medical essentials, a few beauty products, clothing and some processed food items.
As I entered the 10th week of lockdown, I discovered the first truth - I can live without most of them. The definition of essentials changed for me. For 2 months, our kitchen has not seen any alcohol, cheese, pasta, fancy condiments, sweets or chocolates (!!!!), potato chips. And where the average weight gain is 2 -5 kg per person in countries like France, I must have lost at least 5 to 7 kg. With a hat as a permanent clothing item and a few painkillers for my usual neck strain, I seriously am not missing anything.
My Moment of Truth– Our needs and desires have conflated at so many levels that the lines distinguishing between them have blurred. There are times when we give up in anticipation of scarcity or failure. These times have made me realise that when giving up is not an option, one can never fail.
Urgency breeds creativity.: Discussing scarcity and actually experiencing it, are two entirely different things. When you have little resources, you have to become creative. I had never imagined of an alternative to sunscreen. But, as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. When I ran out of sunscreen, I solved the problem of exposure to UV rays in the farm, by buying some oversized men’s shirts.
In my usual work and life environment hardly anybody has so little that they truly need to become creative, that’s why we come up with fancy terms like design thinking. Well, I had to get creative. From creating a green screen to enable zoom background with shade net, to making my own peanut butter for breakfast, to have finally made the perfect Karonda Jam, I have come a long way.
I had 3 pairs of chappals (basic household slippers with rubber straps) here, which started to break one after the other. By now I am on a wild combination of the strings of the 1st pair combined with the soles of the 3rd pair and different combos on either foot. Something I would have NEVER done in the city, but which is far more eco-friendly than throwing the pair out when the first-string breaks.
My Moment of Truth – Our extent of creativity depends on our desperation to find solutions. There is absolutely nothing that is impossible.
Nature is the most effective cleanser.: Being out and about calms your mind. Here at the farm, I hear birds chirping, I see monkeys, deer, mongooses, lizards, rats, mice all around – no snakes (we have a silent agreement to leave each-other alone). I have watched the sun, the moon, clouds come and go, have had hot and humid days and surprisingly cold nights (with no cement to store the heat). I feel no need to do any additional meditation, my surroundings do the work all by itself.
My Moment of Truth – Nature calms your mind and cleanses your soul. Once in a while, it’s important to visit and cherish the charm of nature. It is imperative to protect the environment that enables us to be who we are.
These experiences have raised my awareness of what is really essential and put me in a very different place than before. Many things which used to be on my weekly shopping list are suddenly not required anymore or have at least turned into what they should be in first place: a non-essential luxury item.
The simple awareness of that will sustainably change my behaviour and will result in my questioning things which to date I have taken for granted.
This experience has helped me expand my thoughts as an entrepreneur, making me realise that we owe protection, nurture and growth to all that and all those that support us and empower us.
Mind you, I have not turned into a Saint: I will go miles for my morning coffee and am grateful for Nestle’s distribution network. Instant coffee is still way better than no coffee at all!
