By Jamie Kirk
Pandemic. Social Distance. Working from home. Vaccine. COVID. Social Injustice. Home Schooling. Election 2020. Stimulus Package. Furlough. Impacted by Coronavirus. Zoom meeting. Mask. If I never hear any of these words or phrases again in my life, that would be just fine with me.
We simply cannot go into another year the way we are potentially leaving 2020. I keep hoping and praying that one day, we will all wake up and realize that this has been a dream – okay, well – nightmare. But since that will likely not happen, we will just have to lean into what has happened, what is happening, and how we can build back better!
My thought is that we need to start with a recipe or a road map. Looking at a few key “Big Rocks” will be essential to have a successful upcoming year. Again, not discounting where we have been, but mastering a go-forward approach.
Big Rock #1
Mastering Forgiveness
We have to somehow find forgiveness for those folks that don’t believe in wearing a mask, for folks that don’t think that we, as a nation, have a social and economic divide, and even folks that don’t believe we ALL should have the same rights to healthcare, the ability to marry whomever they love. Even those folks that believe police brutality can be justified. We have to consider how people were raised, their exposure to different cultures, and how much we can educate them if they are open to receiving the blessing of human kindness.
Big Rock #2Â
DedicationÂ
We need to stay focused and dedicated to our positioning of being in control. Controlling the events in our lives that we can and accepting those events that we can’t. We have to stay the course and not move the line in the sand regarding what we will tolerate and not tolerate in the upcoming year(s).
Big Rock #3
TransformationÂ
Being able to acknowledge what is working and what is not. Looking at pieces of our lives (especially around the holidays) and being grateful for ALL things, and not being afraid to make small changes to have a better life. Wanting to make a change does not constitute being ungrateful; it means just that; making a change.
Big Rock #4Â
Remaining OpenÂ
Avoid predicting the future and avoiding looking at 2021 through the lens of 2020. We must plan and prepare for a better year. We can’t go into 2021 planning to fail, intending not to see our family members, prepping to lose our jobs. Being able to wipe the slate clean and start from scratch is paramount to master the holidays and tee up a great and prosperous upcoming year. It is literally envisioning a better year – where the mind goes, our lives tend to follow.
Big Rock #5Â
PeaceÂ
Being able to forgive, staying focused, remaining tenacious and dedicated, and lastly, being open to the possibility (whatever that is) will unequivocally lead to a peace-filled 2021. Peace comes when we are in control and are making decisions that are not fear-based. Remaining calm, being present, and treating each moment like we actually have chosen it. Being at peace will support our efforts of not being anxious or overwhelmed. It is essential to be at peace as we look to live a long and wide life.
Ensuring that we have all of the above ingredients working together to produce the right year we deserve should not be debatable. Most aspects of 2020 have been challenging for most, and many of us feel stressed out and out of sorts. That’s okay, because as the saying goes, “the more difficult the test, the greater the victory.”