The Year That Was

31 days to go in 2020 and what a ride it has been. The area I live in started 2020 with massive bushfires and some flooding, followed by the onset and repercussions of Covid-19. I am ready to draw the line under this year and begin 2021 with a new leaf in my book.

As I write this, I realise that these last 31 days are an opportunity to reflect – on the good, the bad and the other. There seems to be a quick consensus on what constitutes the bad in 2020 – burnt land, social distancing and lockdown.

The good takes a bit more effort to name – initially. In the face of the above, I see the burnt land regenerating and the resilience of nature amazes me in so many ways. I take joy in the lush green that is growing on charred black trunks, a true manifestation of survival and ability to withstand, overcome and rebuild. There is beauty and peace in the contrast of the black and the green, silhouetted against the blue sky. I have become more observant as I follow the slow progress of nature regenerating. As I have become more aware, I have started to notice little things I have not noticed before. And I realized that I was missing out on a lot of good. What are you seeing that was good in 2020?

I deeply acknowledge the impacts and repercussions of Covid-19 on our society. I am not immune to the effects of the pandemic. I wanted to go to Germany to be with my mother for her 80th birthday on Christmas Day. It hurts me deeply not to be with her. And yet, it is not in my power to change this. What if I could - instead of seeing this pandemic as a struggle only, take this time as an opportunity to re-set, re-assess and re-evaluate what is important to me in my life? What if lockdown could be seen as an opportunity for recovery – a time to slow down? What if the struggle and the hard times could be seen as potential for growth, for being, for living, for experiencing? If I just shift my perspective a little, I see that I have evolved as a human being over the months, and I have found more than I have lost.

So, in retrospective, with 31 days still go, whilst 2020 was challenging, there was growth, discovery, beauty and an uprising of more being than doing.

I have a vision for 2021 and it will be different from the one I held for 2020. And everything that was good in 2020 will find its way into 2021.

What is your experience of 2020? Are you ready to let it go? Do you know how to let it go? What is your vision for 2021? Are you ready to work on your vision for 2021 and make it the best year for you?

If you have said yes to the above, why not take part in “Letting Go and Welcoming In”?