January 3, 2020. The third day of the new year and I finally have a chance to sit down and catch my breath after the usual craziness of the Christmas season. And that means I have the time to reflect on the year that was and look at what it means for the year to come.
Growing up, I never did like New Year’s because it meant the Christmas season was over. And growing up, I always loved Christmas. Even now, it’s my favorite time of year, so the New Year still acts as a little bit of a downer, after all the festivities of the Christmas season and whatnot. But in my older age, I’ve taken on a new perspective of the New Year. Instead of seeing it as “the end of Christmas” I now look at it as a new beginning, a chance to correct the mistakes of the past year, and a chance to look forward to a myriad of opportunities in the coming year.
2019 was certainly an eventful year for me. It was filled with unbelievable highs (such as the BEST vacation I have ever been on, something I wrote about in an earlier post), heart-wrenching lows (such as closing another business), and major adjustments (completely new career direction, daughters going to new schools). I never imagined so much could be packed into 12 months – even now, reflecting on everything, I’m getting tired! So what has 2019 taught me? What can I take from 2019, the good, the bad, and the ugly, that may serve me well in 2020? What lessons can I garner from all these events that can be passed on to my daughters?
PERSEVERANCE: Life isn’t easy. It’s not supposed to be. I remember a scene from the movie Parenthood when the grandmother was talking about life and how it could either be a merry-go-round or a roller-coaster. As a merry-go-round, it would be steady, even-keeled, safe, but kinda boring. On the other hand, as a roller-coaster, it would be filled with ups and downs, chock full of loops and curves that catch you off-guard, and could leave you breathless. Her take? The roller-coaster is a much better ride. My life since graduating Grad School has definitely been a roller-coaster. And one thing that I’ve learned through it all is that one of the greatest strengths an individual can have is that of perseverance, because no matter how smart, talented, popular, or rich you may be, life is not always going to go your way. And those who can successfully navigate through the downtimes while taking time to revel in the good times are those who will be able to look back at their life and say with a smile, “It wasn’t easy, but I made it. Somehow, I made it. And what a ride it was!”
HUMILITY: No man is an island. Man is a social being. Two popular sayings in sociology, philosophy, and a host of other fields of study. What they basically mean is that we are all here to support each other and that life is not meant to be lived out on our own. And sometimes this means humbling ourselves and reaching out for help, or accepting help when offered. Sometimes we will be in the enviable position of being able to help someone out and during these times, we should do so joyfully. Other times, we will find ourselves down and in need of help. Some people have the false notion that asking for help is a sign of desperation or weakness. The way I see it, being able to ask for help is a sign of wisdom (being self aware enough to acknowledge that we lack the skill and/or resources to accomplish something) and of inner strength (because one of the hardest things is accepting that we need help and then asking for it).
GRATEFULNESS: Despite that challenges I have faced, I still recognize how unbelievably blessed I am and that so many other people would trade places with me in an instant if they could – warts and all. And while I am coming from a position of privilege, which makes this easy to say, I still believe that everyone, despite their circumstances, should strive to find something to be grateful for. An attitude of genuine gratefulness works wonders as it comforts during ” times of famine” and makes “times of feast” even more delectable.
I am sure that there are many more lessons that I learned through my experiences in 2019, but these three are the ones that immediately came to mind, so that may mean something. And these are three lessons that I want to pass on to my daughters as they get older and begin to face different situations and circumstances.
So to everyone who stopped by to read this, I wish you all a blessed and prosperous 2020! And I pray that you PERSEVERE through the tough times, that you remain HUMBLE in all things, and that you have an attitude of GRATEFULNESS throughout this new year.