As we start the New Year and celebrate that 2020 is over, I want you to consider… what has 2020 taught you and how do you want to live in 2021? Most people go from year to year not really thinking about what they have learned or what great things came from having a so called “crappy” year. Most people are stuck in what was wrong and fear of the unknown.
My heart broke for the people that could not see their loved ones. I was one of them, my grandsons are in my hometown of Saint John, NB. Adults can handle hardship and stress. How do we make little ones understand that Nanny or Grandad cannot come because of a mysterious sickness? I hated not being able to go home and be with my family for Christmas, but I can tell you when life throws me lemons, I will always choose to make lemonade.
I know that there were heartbreaking things happening during this time, but honestly there are always hard things going on in the world. However, there are many incredibly positive stories too. A WWII veteran discharged after beating COVID-19 not once, but twice. Angelina Friedman born on October 18, 1918. She survived the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 as well as COVID-19 twice. Every day, someone is dying but everyday new life is born into this big, beautiful world.
The earth has begun to heal. In a short period of time, less air pollution and a shrinking hole in the ozone layer were reported by the media. An article from ABC 13 News reported, “As people across the globe stay home to stop the spread of the new coronavirus, the air has cleaned up, albeit temporarily. Smog stopped choking New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world, and India’s getting views of sights not visible in decades. Nitrogen dioxide pollution in the northeastern United States is down 30%. Rome air pollution levels from mid-March to mid-April were down 49% from a year ago. Stars seem more visible at night. When people stay home, Earth becomes cleaner and wilder. “It is giving us this quite extraordinary insight into just how much of a mess we humans are making of our beautiful planet,” says conservation scientist Stuart Pimm of Duke University. “This is giving us an opportunity to magically see how much better it can be.” “In many ways we kind of whacked the Earth system with a sledgehammer and now we see what Earth’s response is,” Field says”.
A record number of endangered baby Olive Ridley sea turtles’ hatches in Mexico were observed this year. Nearly 2,250 compared with just 500-1000 from previous years!
Critically endangered blue whales have been spotted in unprecedented numbers around Antarctica.
Just the fact that all of this happened in such a short period of time should cause us to evaluate our effect on this world and our place in it? What could we achieve if we were actually in awareness of the earth’s needs and being mindful of our choices and behaviour?
Most people in 2020 have not really realized the gift of it yet, maybe you have, but I am sure most would say it was terrible. I can tell you that I seen a lot of giving in 2020, people doing good just because they could. Here in Nova Scotia, we also started the year with a terrible mass shooting, so the energy of the year really was dark and heavy but from contrast comes clarity. When terrible things happen, people rise up. People begin to step up and help as much as they can. I have watched many Maritimers come together to help. Numerous charities were started by everyday people to support the victim’s families.
Amazing stories like in Karen Dean’s We are UNBREAKABLE Raw, Real Stories of Resilience from Women in Nova Scotia in 2020, have empowered many people through this difficult time. We are UNBREAKABLE is a collection of authentic and inspiring stories about the unprecedented year of 2020. Karen also donated a portion of the proceeds of the book to the victims families of the shooting massacre.
I want to tell you that 2020 was an incredible year for myself and my partner. COVID-19 slowed things down and gave us time to reflect on what we want as well as, what we do not want. We changed some old behaviours that were not serving us and replaced them with healthier ones. I went back to school and developed my new business. We spent a lot of time outside at many beaches and hiking trails. I watched as people went around cleaning ditches, and making home cooked meals, and baking. People inspiring each other on Facebook singing songs, playing guitar and other instruments. Parents playing with their children outside, buying plants and things to make their yard look better. I saw more families spending time together and enjoying it even though all they had was each other. It felt like people were looking at each other and life differently. We have a beautiful little beach down the road from us. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we hardly ever would see anyone there, but during the lockdown when the use of outdoor parks was permitted the beach was full, well, as full as it could be with social distancing in place. I would see more people out walking, fishing, and playing with children. I was so excited because I have always loved the beach and being in nature. I have always encouraged outdoor activity with my children and grandsons. I could see the benefit and how important it is for wellbeing. Kids love being outside in nature. Teaching our children, the beauty in this world is a blessing and we should all do more exploring outdoors. I watch so many children with anxiety and depression and I wonder, what is going on that our children are so stressed out? I believe it is time for action.
The gift of COVID-19 has been one of great reflection for the entire human race. The pandemic created perfect conditions for all of us to contemplate and take stock of how we feel and who we are. Having less distractions and more time away from the busyness of everyday life gave me an awareness that the deeper questions now needed to be answered.
Who are you?
What do you want to accomplish in your life?
How can we make a difference in the world?
What things bring you joy?
How would you like to grow in your awareness?
What things do you love about yourself and how can you build on them?
How can you do more of the things that excite you and fill you up?
The examples above are questions I would use in my coaching practice with clients to help them create a plan of action for a remarkable 2021. Don’t let the lessons of 2020 go to waste. Use the lessons from the past year to propel you forward.
“Don’t get hung up on the hard times, the challenges. Tell your story by highlighting the victories. Because it’s your victories that will inspire, motivate, encourage other people to live their stories in grander ways.“ -Iyanla Vanzant
