If you were anything like me at the start of 2020, you likely told yourself that it was going to be the best year. I had high hopes for clarity, purpose, reaching my goals, and living life in pure abundance of happiness. But instead, 2020 became the most overwhelming year, and a lot of us were counting down the days until it was over.
Of course, New Year’s celebrations are a bit tainted as we all recount the traumatizing events that took place this year. I feel I’ve become hesitant about getting my hopes up for a better year. We have no idea what 2021 will bring or how to even prepare when the remainder of this year still seems to hold one big question mark.
Despite this year resting in our memories forever as the year COVID took over the world, it has taught me some valuable lessons I plan to take with me into the new year regardless.
Here are four valuable lessons that 2020 has taught me:
Count Your Blessings
I know sometimes it’s hard to see some good in the midst of chaos, but it’s helped to remind me how truly blessed we’ve been this year. 2020 didn’t pan out the way I initially had hoped, but the moment I realized I was living comfortably while some families didn’t have the same pleasure, I counted my blessings.
My family has been blessed to maintain our jobs in the midst of this pandemic. We’re able to pay our bills. We’re able to provide for our son, and we’re in good health.
So many people have been impacted by this pandemic, and I am thankful for the small blessings that have kept our family afloat during this time.
It’s OK To Not Be OK
We live in a world that pushes the agenda of pressing forward and moving on. The pandemic caused us to drop everything that was routine and normal for us, and adapt to a new way of doing things. We were completely uprooted from what was comfortable and had to embrace this new normal overnight.
I’m here to say it’s OK to not be OK. We are not superhuman. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging when your mental or emotional health is not at its peak.
Take the necessary time needed to regather yourself.
Don’t Wait, Do It Now
Time waits for no one. Time does not care how you spend it. We often spend a lot of time calculating our next moves, allowing fear to determine our actions, or just simply believing tomorrow is promised to start over again. COVID came into our world like a thief in the night and captured the lives of millions of people within the blink of an eye.
I’m not waiting for anything else to steal moments away when I have the opportunity to act on it now while I’m in good health.
Keep a Stack of Essential Goods Handy
Although I still scratch my head on this one, I’ve learned no matter what the conditions of the world are in, always keep a stack of toilet paper and other essentials handy. You may remember at the start of the pandemic, the shelves were empty as everyone herded for the toilet paper, paper towels, and of course…hand sanitizer.
I never want to put my family in the position again where we’re scrambling for essentials while the world is in chaos. Lesson learned.
