When the public health people talk about a disease and how it spreads they use the concept of the R0 (R-naught). The term refers to the rate of spread of the virus and is usually shown as a diagram of how many people are infected by a single person. R1 means that one infected person infects one other person and so on. And if the number is above that, the spread is even more rapid. Imagine it this way: if each person who is ill infects 2 people and those 2 infect 2 and each of those infect 2… Very quickly the disease is out of control. On the other hand, numbers below R1 are good. Unfortunately for the US, most of Europe and the UK, numbers are above R1.
What would happen if we apply the same concept of the R0 to wellness. Then what we need is a high number. If disease is a disaster if it’s about R1 does that mean a wellness factor of above R1 could positively change our world in a short period of time? Can we harness this to spread wellness? What would happen if we actively work to spread peace, or kindness? I am kind to 2 people and they are kind to 2 more and those 4 are kind to 2 more… And on we go!
Or imagine: I listen in a heart-felt way to 2 people. They listen with their hearts open to 2 more…
Diseases seem to find ways to spread. I want to work to spread what matters to me! Would you like to join me in this? Let’s just see what happens when we try.
As many of us go back into lockdown this fall, I would like to challenge each of us to find ways to spread community wellness. What R? can we achieve?
