2020.
That’s pretty much all I’d have to say for someone to understand that it probably means COVID-19, election chaos, social unrest, and the list goes on. It was a year defined by uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and quite frankly – it just sucked, right?
That’s where I’ll have to disagree.
When I was a kid, my mentality was to fast forward so that I could travel on my own, graduate high school, get married, have kids and do all the fun things that adults did. But in that journey, I failed to enjoy the moment, and often overlooked the great things that would happen along the way.
I believe that’s what happened in 2020.
I understand that many of us may have lost loved ones, work, friendships, sanity. It was easy to get consumed by politics, work-from-home stress, no-work-at-all stress, and everything in between. But amidst the insanity, I implore you to reflect on what good may have happened in 2020. I promise there’s something there.
I’ll tell you for me that 2020 was quite possibly the greatest year of my life. My daughter was born. I’ve grown closer to my wife. I co-founded a digital marketing agency. My overall outlook on life now has more clarity and purpose.
It’s been a whirlwind, but it wouldn’t be right for me to say that 2020 was all bad without looking back on how the year blessed me and my family.
But I get it. The few good things still feel like they were overshadowed by the bad. That’s where a decision needs to be made.
We can either go into 2021 with a “do-over” mentality or we can go into 2021 with a “carry on” mentality. What I mean is that instead of erasing 2020, how about we take the good things that happened and elevate that this year?
Life is truly what we make it. We all see the world through different lenses, but that difference comes from our attitude in how we want to approach it. You can let life happen to you or you can make life happen around you.
I choose to stay positive – to know that we should always have hope and see the unlimited potential that the future holds.
Friends, this moment too will pass. Let’s make the most out of the cards that we’ve been dealt and let’s continue to carry on into this new year together.