Even in the best of years, our successes are often tinged with disappointment. Our high standards can become so rigorous that they blind us to the beauty before us.
This is especially true in a year like 2020. Even the most optimistic and positive people I know have described 2020 as terrible, a dumpster fire, a curse.
Since February, the collective energy around this year has been that it can’t be over fast enough.
There’s no question that 2020 gave us a lot to grieve. And, as I’ve written often, it’s important to grieve.We all lost something in 2020: a way of life, social connections, the illusion of certainty and predictability. Friends and loved ones.
Sidebar: If you feel guilty for grieving because you fared well by comparison to others, let go of the comparison. You’re still allowed to grieve what you lost.
That said, lost in the narrative about 2020 is that it also was a great year in many respects.
Here are some benefits of going through hard times:
- Clarity on Values: Tough times help us get clarity on what matters most to us.
- Empathy: I often call my biggest challenges “empathy building exercises” because they give me an experience of what others go through.
- Resilience: If you’re still standing and reading this, you are more resilient than you were before, just by surviving this year.
If you can find nothing else redeeming about 2020, I invite you to hang on to these.
2020 may be remembered in history as a year that defined who we are. Ultimately, though, you’re the one who gets to define what 2020 will mean for you.
You get to choose what to take with you into the next year.
See you on the other side.
What wisdom are you taking with you into 2021? Please share in the comments!
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