Real Sh*t That 2020 Taught Us
Welcome, 2021. Holy shit, it’s so good to see you
Last year was stressful beyond what any of us could have guessed or imagined. It was frightening, heart wrenching; many of us experienced loss of loved ones and/or employment, we spent more time at home than we ever wanted to, and nearly all of us had our daily routines either adjusted or flipped completely upside down. But without a doubt, this shit show of a year has taught us all something about ourselves and our lives because of it all.
Here are a few of my main takeaways.
There’s no shame in starting over
I can agree that sometimes the whole “when one door closes another opens” phrase can sound like serious BS when you’re deep in the trenches without a clear view of how to dig your way out, and I know personally that sometimes taking that new path can feel like more of an adrenaline-pumping opportunity dive of out a window than a clear step over a door frame - but regardless, this year has taught me the importance of occasionally trying something new and taking the damn dive.
One thing that we can all rest easy in knowing is that much of that world is starting over together in 2021.
Many of us are alongside each other on the trying-something-new trail, picking up our lives and previously-made plans by the seat of their pants and trekking forward.
I’m so proud of the people I’ve observed this year who have suffered a significant life change but used the experience as a way to better or reinvent themselves, or at the very least, are staying persistent and pushing forward regardless. YOU ARE ROCKSTARS!
Humans were made to change, grow, and evolve even under the worst circumstances. We’re resilient, we’re creative, and we’re masters of dusting ourselves off and getting back up again.
Sometimes a tragedy can become an opportunity. And even in the cases where it doesn’t, it all becomes a part of each of our individual stories. Personally, I’m beyond excited to be flipping to the next chapter.
Creators will always create
I once read that during any major disaster throughout history there’s been a pattern found in the increased creativity and discovery of artists.
Repeatedly in the midst of chaos people have emerged to start painting, writing, building, speaking, and diving into new ways to express themselves during a stressful time. Being honest, this is my personal favorite thing that I’ve watched come out of this past year during the lockdown.
People are writing books and poems, starting blogs (*points at self*), creating podcasts, filming YouTube videos, making all varieties of incredible art, and even starting whole new businesses from the ground up. It’s amazing to see!
I firmly believe that all humans have individualized creative abilities hidden within their own minds. Watching people discover and feed that creativity this past year has been a beautiful thing to sit back and watch.
Way to go, you incredible creators and your beautiful brains. Keep it up!
Maybe there’s more to life than working ourselves to death?
Okay, before that statement starts to hit a nerve, hear me out.
I’m well aware that we all have bills to pay, responsibilities that we need to ensure that we can afford, lives to maintain, and let’s be real; if you woke up this morning and your heart’s still beating - congratulations, rent’s due on the first.
So trust me that I’m not trying to convince anyone that their day job isn’t important or that they should drop their responsibilities to run away and live off of the gifts of the universe (unless that’s your thing…. And if so - YOU GO GLEN COCO).
But I do understand firsthand how easy it can be to completely lose yourself within your work while the things that make you the happiest in life start to slip down to the very forgotten bottom of your priority list.
Personally, though I do enjoy my career, I’m continually trying to remind myself that I’m working to provide for the life that I want to live, but I don’t want to live solely to drown myself within that work while forgetting to actually enjoy living the life that I’m busting my ass to fund.
Moral of the story: Stop putting off things that are the most important to you.
Go to that show you’ve been wanting to see, actually use your damn vacation days, spend some extra time with your kids, take that class that you’ve been dying to take for years, or start the side hustle that’s been lingering in the back of your mind!
Do the things that you love but have continually pushed to the side, because when you look back on the experiences that you’ve passed up, you’ll quickly find yourself wishing that you had.
When the small things in life are removed from the picture, they start to feel like the big things
While going through life within this “new normal”, it’s really bringing to light the things that I so easily took for granted about the old normal.
Things like:
Going to Concerts, shaking hands as a greeting, breathing fresh air without a mask, spending time with friends and family (in person), going to see a movie in theaters. sitting inside a restaurant, meeting someone new at an event, traveling ANYWHERE, and social gatherings (of any kind AT ALL).
One thing that I can absolutely guarantee that I will NEVER take for granted EVER again, is the glorious sight of a fully stocked shelf of toilet paper at the store. In fact, I’ll probably be buying my toilet paper in bulk for the foreseeable future just because of the PTSD.
Costco membership just for TP? Sign me TF up.
But really; 2020 was a huge reminder to spend more time appreciating the little things, because when they’re gone, they can quickly start to feel like huge things.
Prioritizing your mental health is VITAL
I’m personally sad to admit that it took a life-altering global pandemic for me to finally take my stubborn ass to therapy. But nevertheless; I’ve finally boarded the mental health train.
I had been saying for years that I would eventually start going to therapy or some type of counseling, but suddenly being stuck at home with my thoughts for days on end really pushed me to finally take action.
My takeaway from that experience? Mental health is just as important as your physical health, and neglecting either can inevitably make you feel sick and miserable.
Also, this isn’t the 1950s where people were still expected to shove their emotional struggles under the rug and women whispered to each other at lunch that they overheard that so-and-so started going to (*looks around to make sure no one can hear*) ………………..therapy.
This is goddamn 2021, and it’s beyond time that seeking help from mental health professionals becomes normalized and something that people can discuss openly.
2021 IS FOR NORMALIZING MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES.
Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
When modern civilization shuts down, we ‘naturally’ turn back to nature
One of my favorite things about this past summer is the amount of time that I was able to spend outside enjoying it.
As someone who has spent most of their adult life thus far being in an office from basically sunup to sundown; discovering that one of the lights at the end of this year's dark tunnel was actually coming from UV rays, made a HUGE difference in my mental state during the lockdown.
Even though our regular methods of entertainment were temporarily outlawed, being able to turn to things like sunbathing, reading outside, going for a run, finding a new hike, and even just enjoying some time lounging at the park really helped strengthen the thread that my sanity was fiercely gripping onto.
Honestly, I’m pretty sure that last summer was the most time that I had consecutively spent outdoors in about six years, and it really opened my eyes to the overall importance of preserving nature and reminding humans of the importance of both enjoying AND taking care of it.
My earth lesson: We really do only have one planet earth, and when man-made entertainment is removed from the picture we naturally turn to our planet ready to accept and appreciate what it has always been there to offer us; nature, fresh air, and an organic anti-depressant (UV rays).
Anyway, protect and appreciate the damn planet. Because once we ruin earth, there is no replacement. Period.
