It’s finally here! 2021! Are you ready? You may be thinking, ‘Of course I am, good riddance to 2020!’ but let’s take a look back for a moment. Was it all bad? Well certainly there was much fear, loss, trauma, pain, anxiety, isolation, and sickness. But there were also neighbors helping neighbors and more quality time at home whether by yourself or with whomever you live. There was definitely more creativity this year than maybe ever before. In other words, when life closes doors and we can no longer do things the way we used to do them, we are forced to do them differently. For instance, how many zoom calls were you on in 2020 as compared to 2019? Zoom and Facetime were and are safe ways to connect with family, friends, and business colleagues. We all probably did more cooking at home than we had in a long time and baked more banana bread and other creative recipes we would find online. Maybe you caught up on Netflix shows you were too busy pre-pandemic to watch or listened to more podcasts and read more books. The point here is when we are forced to find other ways to live our lives, we can and we do! Sometimes, the new ways are even better than the old ways.

 

Many people have said that they have been looking forward to 2021 in ways that suggest there will be no negativity. But as we all know, life, no matter what year it is, has both positive and negative experiences. Much of our experiences in life have to do with the lens through which we see the world. Two different individuals can look at the same exact situation and feel completely different. This is not to say one person is wrong and the other is right but instead it is the way we view the world that will largely determine how many positive and negative experiences we will have. It’s your choice.

 

So what do you want for your one life in 2021? From which kind of lens do you want to view yourself, others and the world? Who are you? Who do you want to be? What do you want to experience and accomplish? Focus on planning for your future and then coming back to living in the moment. Work on letting go of the past as it can limit our growth. Think about your thoughts, feelings and responses to these questions and write your answers down. Look at it often, say it out loud, visualize it and then…make it happen now! We have all had pain, struggles, sadness in life and especially in 2020. Make this your best year ever…make it a year you are proud of, despite what happens around you that you have no control over; instead, take full control over what you can change and improve-YOU!

 

Happy New Year!