Do you want 2021 to be a better year? Then reading this is a must.
Well, that was crazy, eh?!
I’m pretty sure 2020 wasn’t the year any of us expected when we awoke on this day 12 months ago. No one could have predicted what would happen, and sadly continues to occur around the globe.
None of us could have imagined all of the pain and sorrow we would endure at the hands of a global pandemic, corrupt government, police brutality and an ever-warming planet.
At this point I’m all out of conspiracy theories — most of them came true in 2020!
But, hey — it would be all too easy to say, “Well, thank god for that, 2020 is done. Our Annus horribilis is finally over!” Meanwhile, despairing at an entire year of our precious lives wasted.
It would be easy to reflect on all of the lives and jobs lost, people we have missed hugging and spending time with, celebrations and plans that we had to postpone or cancel — the list of reasons to idle in anguish goes on, and on, and on, but as I said, that would be too easy!
I’m not asking you to pretend 2020 was the best year ever, far from it, but let’s not lament on what we already know. Instead, I’m asking you to focus on some of the positive aspects of what can only be viewed as ‘simply the craziest year ever’ (unprecedented has been way overused in 2020, and damn, crazy seems a better fit anyway)!
What positives I hear you scream — there were none. Come on, think hard — some good came out of 2020 whether you realise it or not. Don’t believe me? Read on.
I’m not saying we have to pretend 2020 was the best year of our life — ‘course not — but don’t write it off as a complete loss. Think about these three positives instead.
1. What did you learn in 2020
The first thing that pops into my head is learning how to consume a 1L bottle of tequila in less than three days — but that’s not something to be proud of or is it? Hmmm, well maybe — hey, tough times call for tough measures!
Seriously though, think about everything you have learnt in the past 12 months.
First and foremost, you learnt how to survive in the face of adversity, struggle and change. That’s something worth celebrating right there.
Or was it something else? Maybe you learnt how to be alone, or together — with your partner or family 24/7 (not an easy task — speaking from experience — lol). Maybe, you learnt to cook a new recipe or to use Zoom, keeping you connected with family and friends. Perhaps you learnt to play chess — by watching The Queens Gambit three times in a row or how to work the TV remote control whilst working your way through the Netflix back catalogue.
Whatever it is that you learnt last year, be proud of it. Be proud of yourself for learning something new, however small that thing might be.
2. How much did you grow in 2020?
And I don’t mean physically, although my waist might be a full 2” wider than it was walking into this new decade — anyone else with me? Bueller, at the back there.
You know what. It’s okay — let’s not focus on our expanding waistlines, lest we lapse into another quart of Haagen Dazs – the negatives aren’t what this piece is about.
Nope! This article is about looking on the bright side, and case in point — you now have two more inches to love, right?
Okay, enough kidding around — when I talk about growth, I’m talking about emotional and spiritual growth. Don’t anyone shake your head and tell yourself you haven’t grown in either of those areas — you have — even if you don’t realise it.
That doesn’t mean you took up meditation, journaling or zoomed with a therapist — although good for you if you did — what it means is ‘you made it.’ You made it through ‘the crazy’ that was 2020 and came out the other side stronger than you were. Yes, you are!
The most important spiritual growth doesn’t happen when you are meditating or on the yoga mat. It happens in the midst of conflict, when you are frustrated, angry or scared and you realise that you have a choice to react differently.
You are more compassionate; you understand the value of human touch. You know how meaningful relationships are, you realise how important it is to live each day in the moment, and you cherish your memories of the good times more than ever.
See! You have grown a lot over this past year, and that is something to be grateful for.
3. What did you achieve in 2020
Well, first things first. You’re here — you’ve officially made it to 2021, and that right there, that’s an achievement in and of itself. Honestly — if you made it through this year with any semblance of liquidity, sanity and personal hygiene you are pretty impressive, so pat yourself on the back, and if not — then maybe take a bath??
All joking aside, what did you achieve last year?
My most significant achievement was to spend a lot of time writing — I wrote and published eight articles on Medium! Whoo-hoo! Now, the little voice in my head tells me that I should have done more. Eight articles aren’t enough — if I had an entire year to write I should have written at least one article a week. Right? Wrong — this was one hell of a year and eight is better than a big fat zero, so I’m going to be proud of myself instead.
Maybe, you homeschooled your children (and re-learnt math in the process!) — that is HUGE! Perhaps you fixed up your garden or redecorated a room in your home? Maybe you read a book or wrote one? Was it that you managed to survive on unemployment benefit, helped out a neighbour in need or adopted a furry friend. You might have managed to stay fit (well done you) or begun eating healthier or drinking less (no, that’s not a joke — you know someone out there did).
Hell, even having the ability to get out of bed before 2 pm on a given day is an achievement when the whole world is losing its mind around you.
Celebrate the wins, my friends. Recognise your achievements.
Walk into 2021 with love in your heart and hope for better days. With all of its pain, sorrow and despair, 2020 gave you a reason to be proud, a reason to be grateful and a reason to celebrate. See, it wasn’t so bad.
YOU are smarter than you know, stronger than you think and loved and missed by more people than you could ever imagine!
You’re here. You made it — that makes you a hero!
And with that, I wish you a Happy, Healthy and Wealthy year ahead.
