What a year it has been.
One we certainly won’t forget.
A year that many are ready to move on from. Understandable.
I know as we reflect in future years it is a year we will remember. There is the saying, “hindsight is 2020” ….umm we probably can’t use that phrase anymore.
What will we remember it for?
There are lots of things to choose from. Many we share in common, many unique to who we are.
For me it will be for one of change. A year that I have grown from and learned a whole lot. It hasn’t been a “normal” year, but what is a “normal”year anyway?
There is still time for you to make it memorable, memorable in a good way. Not a stuck at home pandemic way.
Twenty twenty could be used as a reset. Becoming a better version of who you are, with more joy, purpose and less stress. Maybe it has been a period of improving your health and better self care.
What have I learned this year?
I’ve learned what is important to me. What relationships are important and ones that I can do without. I know which ones bring me joy and which ones bring me drama or consume to much energy. I’ve learned which ones I’ve truly missed and felt like something was truly missing because I couldn’t see them in person. I’ve given myself permission to move on from ones that consume more then they give back. Yes I know they ebb and flow but I am talking big pictures. Even the days that our important relationships may take more energy, we know we are better for having that person in our lives. The ones that drain us more then they fulfill us are the ones I have moved on from. I know I am certainly a better person because I have certain people in my life.
We are more “connected” then any time in history. But are we? Has being “connected” really helped us grow apart, develop shallower relationships with more people, or given us the feeling of being connected when we really aren’t? Has it added more stress because we see their “highlight reel” and aren’t connected enough to share in their struggles and journey along with them?
I’ve learned about my relationships where people are “all in” and those that are superficial.
Being “connected” has allowed us this year to “be together” virtually when we couldn’t be together physically. I am thankful for that.
I’ve learned what activities are important to me. I’m not going to participate in things because that is what everyone else is doing I am going to participate in ones that fill me up. This doesn’t mean that I am not going to try new things, of course I am. What I am going to do is spend more time focusing on the ones that bring me the most joy. I am also going to make more time to participate in them.
Someone once described lent to me as “removing something so that you can add something that brings you more joy. Lent isn’t supposed to be a time of suffering. It should be a time of growth.” An example might be; I am going to not watch TV during lent. What you do with the extra time is more important then not watching TV. I am going to spend more time with my family. I am going to workout during that time. I am going to journal during that time. You get the idea.
Twenty twenty is showing me what to remove so I can add in more that brings me joy.
I’ve learned that I need to do stuff to hit my “reset button”. This means getting out of my day to day routine to an area that isn’t my norm. One of these places is certainly Assateaque with Amanda and the beach. As I have thought about this a lot recently I realized as a kid these “resetting points” were weekends on the boat with my family and occasionally friends. It was the weekend adventures my parent’s would plan, camping or canoeing. As I got older it was being on the water alone in my Boston Whaler. Or a distance race down the bay on Anthem. I certainly miss those.
I think these are the times that I used to “reset” and get my creativity back. To change lanes out of the rut we are driving in and explore a new route. I need to add these back in, and on a frequent basis.
Health, I’ve never taken it for granted but I do think it has grown in importance for me this year. I’m close to another milestone birthday, the journey I am on with Amanda and her health has taught me a lot. Then there is this pandemic thing happening you may have heard about. Health covers not only our physical health but our mental health.
I am disappointed that I haven’t had a chance to develop new habits this year. I wish I have but the year was a roller coaster and I haven’t made it happen. I have learned which habits I want to add and which ones I want to remove. I guess you can say in some ways I have new habits because I have eliminated things that didn’t bring me joy or added stress to my life.
I am disappointed that I haven’t had the opportunity to do more organizing and purging of stuff that so many people I know have. What little I have done has brought me joy. I am very thankful for the reasons that have kept me from completing these tasks. I promise myself and you that more purging will be occurring over the next few months.
Each of us has experienced this year differently. Everyone has faced challenges and things we never thought we would. My heart breaks for everyone who has struggled this year. It is my hope that as a community we will come together and help lift people up and help them where and how we can.
How are you going to remember twenty twenty?
Is it going to be one that lead to a better stronger version of you? One that ultimately improved your quality of life?
It doesn’t mean that it didn’t suck and you didn’t struggle. It would be a shame if it was all of that and then you learned nothing from it and did nothing with the experience.
I’ve heard many stories of how people are upset they didn’t get to do this and this, or a year of their life “was lost” because of the pandemic. I understand those feelings I just hope they aren’t the final “take always” from twenty twenty. They can certainly be part of the memories but it is my wish that you have more to show from it then that. Lessons that are going to pay off and make your life better for years to come. That twenty twenty was a year of recalibrating, resetting and improving on who we are.
