You and 2021

Let’s face it: 2020 was a trying year. And throughout it all, people stepped up and continue to do so. They provide health services, ensure grocery stores have items to buy, and so much more. We each have stepped up and continue to do so. We carry on when things seem out of control or scary. We balance being productive with the chaos in our jobs or lives. And, perhaps, we manage to keep smiling because we know it makes a difference for those around us.

Many have lost lives or their livelihoods in this current pandemic crisis. For those who still have food to eat and mouths to feed, we look to 2021 for new solutions and possibilities for a better future.

As we begin this new year, it might feel a bit like we are running holding a snake in one hand, due to burdens that we carry from 2020. But we carry hope in our other hand, and we are still running (figuratively or literally) … and motion supports growth. Note: I took this blog picture not realizing what the little girl was holding (a toy snake) as she ran around the plateau at Half Moon Bay.

Now is a great time to prune things that overwhelm, distract, or do not serve our evolving definition of success. We get to carry forward a reminder of the courage that resides within us. I have had my own challenges this year: total hip replacements on both sides, significantly less business, and heartache as I watch my Dad grow weaker in hospice care. And my heart goes out to those who have endured their own battles this past year.

As we start the new year and make resolutions, our definition of success may sound different than in years past. Though an anti-list person myself, I have decided a short list will help remind me of what I must continue to have and do:

1. PURPOSE and BALANCE: Spend time on things that matter to me and my loved ones.
2. APPRECIATION and CONNECTION: Take nothing and no one for granted, as they could be gone in the blink of an eye.
3. COURAGE and RESILIENCE: Remember that I, and others, are stronger and more adaptable than we know.

I look forward to this year as my hips keep me moving, work will be abundant, and I celebrate my Dad’s life despite the circumstances.

Success has always required valuing people. This year, if we choose, we get to redefine what matters and show the people in our lives that we value them over everything else.

This Week: Make your resolutions if you have not already. What matters to you and your success with the people in your life? Perhaps the words of Arthur Ashe might help, “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”