Reflections

Like many of us, I have been reflecting on this past year. We have experienced the whole breadth of emotions during the waves of uncertainty and it may be a while before we can put all of this behind us. However, one thing I am grateful for from all this chaos has been the opportunity to reevaluate what is important in my life and to determine what I want to focus on going forward. I have shared many of my thoughts over the past several months and I am deeply thankful for all of you who have traveled along with me on this crazy journey.

Looking back over the things that have been on my mind this year, several themes emerged. I found a note in my phone that I jotted down a few months ago that captures much of those ideas:

·       Nothing has meaning except in context.

·       Nothing has context except through relationships.

·       No positive relationship exists without intentionality.

2020 has challenged us in ways never before imaginable. However, this has created the potential for substantial personal growth. If we take everything we have experienced this year and examine it in the context of this unprecedented global event, we can learn many meaningful lessons. One of the most significant takeaways is that relationships are the most important things we have, including our relationship with ourselves. If we want those relationships to thrive and strengthen, we must be intentional in making that happen. This is hard work at times, but as Glennon Doyle reminds us, “We can do hard things!”

Emotional intelligence theory tells us that we must first have self-awareness to be able to move toward self-management. From a deeper understanding of ourselves, we can truly lean into social awareness and empathy. From this foundation, we can more effectively build the relationships we want to have. Again, for this to meaningfully develop in our lives, we must be intentional in working on it.

So, we have a major choice in front of us. We can take what we have experienced from this difficult period of our lives and use it to become better human beings or we can ignore the lessons available and remain adrift in the currents of indecision. It is my hope that we apply what we have learned to make 2021 a year of recovery and growth. We have the possibility of creating stronger relationships with each other and of finding ways to live purposefully together. It probably sounds naïve or pollyannish, but it is within us to do it.

As the year comes to a close, I am going to take a short break from posting until January. Again, thanks for checking in with me throughout this time. I am grateful for you and how you have each touched my life. Please remember you are enough, you are worthy, and you are loved!