Finding the Positives in a Difficult Year
This year has been a year of unprecedented times. Probably none of us could have predicted how 2020 has turned out, but this isn't to say that it is all bad. I have been seeing a few things going around social media about the positives of 2020 and while at first I rolled my eyes at it, I agree that it is beneficial for us to see the silver lining in the events of this year. As we approach the holiday season and the time of many culture's new years I always like to reflect on how the year has progressed and this year is no different in that regard. While we all have gotten through 2020 with varying levels of success, one thing is for certain is that this was a year of quiet reckoning for all of us. With all these things considered, this is what I have seen as the silver linings of this year.
The Benefit of Slowing Down
I am sure this is on the top of everyone's list. Most people tend to just get busier every year starting from maybe the first or second year of university. It starts with midterms and finals always falling around Thanksgiving and Winter Break. You watch the world around you build with excitement as it prepares for this time of year while you are stuck overwhelmed with papers and exams. I always told myself this is just for a couple years and soon I will get to be part of the celebrations again, but what you don't realize is that you are also shifting from child to adult so when you do get to return, you are the one rushing to make it happen. No longer are you the child being performed for but are responsible for the performance. It is a bittersweet realization but does nothing but make you even busier in the end. You take on more responsibilities at work and in your family and life just gets busier and busier until one day the quarantine happens. All of a sudden things were slower. Stressful still perhaps, but you have a moment to stop and take stock of your life. Children, loved ones, spouses and friends all get less than the amount of time you want to give them in our typical lives and now we suddenly have time to be with these people. During quarantine we were saying it a lot but it is worth saying it again, enjoy this time. Life forced you to slow down and it is important to remember why we are working so hard to begin with, which brings us to the next point.
Life is Short
I worked in end of life care for a little over a year between my Master's and Ph.D. programs and had the honor of being at the bedside of many strangers in their final moments and the takeaway is no surprise. No one regrets not working more. Maybe they regret being poor or mishandling their money, but they do not wish they could have worked more. They regret not spending more time with their children, mistreating a spouse or ex spouse, not being able to be physically with someone. That last one, we all felt in a stronger way than ever before this year as we were sometimes forced not to see people we love for months. The point is this, life is short and we are not here to make money. We are here for experience and to make an impact we are here to leave a legacy. Yes, work gives us the means to make these goals, but the work is not the goal in and of itself. If 2020 taught us anything, it is that we are only here for too short of a moment and we need to savor each and every day.
Keep your Circle Small
Adding to the point of life being short and time being precious is now to make an assessment of who you spend this time with. Separating the wheat from the chaff so to speak in our relationships. I saw a lot of breakups but also a lot of engagements in quarantine. Armed with the knowledge that we have specific purposes in our time on earth we need to take the next step and start looking at who we spend time with but not only that, who and what we give energy to. That which takes our time and energy is what is important in our life. We may not agree with that statement cause we don't like the things we are spending a lot of time doing, but this is what is most important in our lives. 2020 taught us either through the fire or through the ice of who was important for us. Either people disappeared once there was a little adversity or we were thrown into 24 hours a day with someone we realized we no longer share the same goals with. Whichever way we may have lost a significant number of people in our lives. While on the surface this can feel like a tragedy, it was in fact a gift. Ripping off the band aid instead of letting it slowly weather off your skin. The loss of these people only gives us more time for the people that are important. They don't even need to be replaced. A smaller and tighter circle just might be the secret blessing of 2020.
How have you grown from 2020? Reach out to us at info@bullionite.com with your comments and questions!