Here we are again, at the top of the year!
Even with the uncertainty, struggles, fires, flooding, not to mention the rest of it, I found that 2021 flew by! It was a year of canceled plans and COVID variants. For many of us, the restrictions resulted in us staying at home more often than usual. For me, this caused time to go by quicker. For others, the year dragged on. Whichever it was for you, you survived!
And now starring 2022! (Applause inserted here) What will become the stars of this year…? I certainly hope it’s not Omicron or natural disasters. But let’s face it, that’s a possibility. Perhaps there will be a new variant or a different world catastrophe. None of us can predict what the future holds. I’m hoping compassion and kindness will take over this year!
I believe that when our sense of comfort or way of life is being threatened, the only thing we can do is change our focus. Let’s hold back judgements or nasty comments on social media, and replace it with thoughts of love and respect for all - that would definitely feel a lot better. Or maybe, look towards one another with love, respect, and empathy. I have faith that we all know how to do this; the truth is, we don’t know what others are struggling with so let’s show empathy and kindness to all of humanity.
What if (and this is just a suggestion) we enter the year with no expectations? We go into 2022 expecting absolutely nothing. What we could do, as Tony Robbins says, is “trade your expectation for appreciation and see your entire world change.”
I know this might sound like a scary thing. It’s difficult to give up the idea of control, fixed calendars, and the joy of anticipation – we all crave structure.
I truly believe there are many positives in living life this way. It forces us to be present and to be here now. We spend a lot of time being elsewhere and missing out on the joy of the moment. We can’t wait for 5 o’clock, the holidays, our next vacation - we worry about all the “what ifs” which most of the time never happen. Living this way forces us to focus on what is instead of what may be.
The truth is we have no idea how things are going to progress. This can be said with many things in life, but especially now during the pandemic. So, if we let go of expectations, it might not be a bad thing for now. There is less stress when we live this way, and perhaps it will teach us how to find joy in the little things, to appreciate every day we have, and live a more “present” life. Seriously, what could go wrong?
So…to you 2022!
Please be gentle and kind with us this year. Acknowledge the strength, courage, and grace we displayed as we navigated the unchartered waters of 2021. We are strong, we are brave, we are resilient, and we are stubborn! Whatever challenges you may deliver this year, we got this!
As Glennon Doyle says,
“We can do hard things”
Until next time…bring on 2022!