Finally, we’re at the end of what most are describing as the worst year ever. What have you learned in 2020? and how will what you learned colour how you approach the new year? I think most of us learned that some of the stuff we once considered important is not so important after all. You know what I’m talking about – maybe there’s an expensive outfit hanging in your closet with the tags still on? My point is, sometimes we squander precious resources on unimportant things when we can do much more meaningful things with those same resources if we employed them elsewhere.
Here’s what I learned – time is short!
Time is a valuable resource, one we sometimes take for granted. As I reflect on the last few months I can’t help but notice how fleeting those happy and contented moments were. I learned to be grateful for the moments I will forever treasure – a perfect moment of oneness with a loved one; a rainy day in bed watching a Netflix series with my cat Sadie curled up in my lap; that triumphant moment when I finally complete an overdue project; that last blaze of amazing colour as the sun slips below the horizon… it seems the best moments are all fleeting! If you doubt that, well just think about your last orgasm….. see what I mean? That is exactly why I resolve to spend more time on the things that will benefit me in the long term and bring me joy.
I learned that some standards we hold others to are not important
I never saw myself as someone who held others to impossible standards, but judging from recent conversations with loved ones, I have to reassess how I see myself. My personal belief is that honesty is the best policy, to my mind being honest is precise – it leaves no room for actions to be misconstrued or words to be misunderstood.
I strive to be honest and open and I expect the same from others. Obscurity and uncertainty make me uncomfortable, I like clarity, knowing exactly where I stand. Never had I imagined that these traits would conspire to make me into some kind of terrifying paragon of virtue (which I’m definitely not!). This is not who I want to be so I am hereby resolving to temper my honesty with kindness and to stop being so obsessed with defining everything. Maybe some things are just as vague and obscure as they appear right? this will definitely take some getting used to! Is there some character trait you may consider tweaking as well?
I learned the importance of positive visualization
Have you noticed how popular ‘vision boarding’ has become recently? previously the trend was ‘visualization’ and maybe way before that it was prayer? Regardless of what you want to call it, I think the guiding principle is rooted in this quote from the 1937 book “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill– “Whatever Your Mind Can Conceive and Believe, It Can Achieve.”
Invariably we do ourselves an injustice by not prioritizing what is really important to us. We focus too much energy on what we do not want and as a result, we manifest the very thing we absolutely do not want! We should endeavor to focus more energy on what we actually want! In essence, stop praying for a partner who is not selfish, pray instead for a partner who is loving and kind. Picture yourself as a successful business owner, don’t stay up at night wringing your hands in fear that your business will fail. Focusing on the positive seems a simple way to achieve whatever we truly desire in life so I’ll practice, practice, practice! will you join me?
What have you learned?
Have you asked yourself that question? What have you learned in 2020? The truth is, whatever resonated with you in 2020 will influence how you react to similar situations in 2021 – even if you are unaware of it. That is simply how your brain works, your brain does its damnedest to protect you from making the same mistake twice! unfortunately in a lot of cases, we override that natural built-in survival instinct that tells us not to put our fingers into the flames. Oddly, we seem prone to doing this when it comes to matters of the heart and finances – the very times we shouldn’t!
Regardless of whether you’re aware of it or not, your brain has learned new survival skills, natural instincts that will come in useful in 2021. The next time someone asks that question – what have you learned in 2020? you can respond with confidence that you have learned new survival skills. Trust that those survival skills and natural instincts will guide you. Trust that the year will unfold exactly as it was meant to and all will be well. Explore all possibilities, be kind, be patient, be present in every experience, enjoy being alive, and above all, live well in 2021.
