2020 was a year of change, growth, and blessings.
2021 will be a year of continued change, growth, and blessings.
I can’t sit here and say 2020 was completely terrible. 2020 brought many things with it.
It was a year of good and bad, mixed together to bring a year of strength and growth.
Strength from the inside to overcome hardships and celebrate victories.
Growth to continue to evolve into who God has created me to be.
Life in 2020 was no walk in the park. I faced a career change which brought about personal change.
In the middle of a career change came a pandemic that challenged me in more ways than one.
I faced living completely alone and it got really lonely some days.
I lost my grandfather, who I am still deeply hurting for.
I missed not being able to say goodbye to my students at the end of the school year.
I felt a heavy weight of depression and anxiety from the unknown.
But in the middle of the chaos and uncertainty…
I completed a 100 day workout challenge.
I focused on what I was fueling my body with.
I changed who I surrounded myself with (kind of had to with a pandemic and all).
I talked and prayed more with God, creating a deeper relationship with Him.
I worked on myself through intense journaling and therapy (via Zoom, of course).
I learned to completely love myself right where I was.
So no, 2020 wasn’t all that bad.
Entering into a new year I am completely confident that I will continue to grow in all areas of life, find success, and even be humbled by some failures. All of these moments propels us into where we are going.
If there is one thing I have learned it is to embrace every part of life as it is. Embrace the happy, sad, good, and bad. Each moment is a moment to learn, grow, and be better than before. Be present in the now. Stop dwelling on the past and look forward to what the future has to offer you.
I’m not saying I don’t have worries, fears or doubts. I absolutely do. But I don’t let those worries, fears or doubts control my life. I don’t let those moments hold me back. I continue to push ahead and give my all.
I encourage you to change your outlook on what last year brought to you and what this year has to offer.
We can look back on 2020 and talk about how terrible it was, how we are so glad it’s over and how it will be a year we never talk about again. Or we can look back on 2020 with an open heart and understand while there may have been some bad moments there were good moments too. And I promise you there was good in there.
We can sit here in 2021 and wonder if this year will be like the last. Or we can build off of what we know and continue to forge ahead with positivity and faith.
I will continue to put my best foot forward. I will continue to be better every day.
I will continue to give my all in everything that I do. I will continue to chase after my dreams.
I will continue to show love, grace, and mercy to myself and those around me.
I will continue to show up every single day, even when I don’t want to.
Last year may not have been what you expected, wanted or needed.
I don’t think it was what anybody expected, wanted or needed.
And that’s okay.
This year has the potential to be all that you want it to be.
You only need to show up, be great, give your best and do your best.
Continue to have faith in the unknown and never give up.
So, here’s to 2021. We’ve got this friends.
