5 Things 2021 Taught Me
So much has happened over the past 12 months. I know most probably don't want to look back but you learn valuable things when you're knocked on your ass trying to navigate a pandemic. This year was long enough for most so I’ll keep it short. Here are a few things I learned:
“The comfort zone is a Beautiful place but nothing ever grows there.”
Don’t get caught slipping.
Be a starfish, not a spider. If you cut off a spider's head, it dies; if you cut off a starfish's leg it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Savor beautiful periods in life but don’t forget to prepare yourself with backup plans and stay ready. Nurture your talents, have security options for yourself, and keep yourself sharp. This year was filled with many unexpected challenges and life-changing news. You may not be able to predict what the future may hold but you can invest time in yourself and make financial, personal, and professional diversifications that make facing those challenges easier or provide a way to pivot when life happens.
Support is a Verb that forms Community
With the level of uncertainty in the world currently, you need people who can love you and hold space for you. This year many hit different kinds of lows and being in this low-grade isolation of work-at-home and limiting physical interactions with the outside world isn’t helpful when you may be riddled with tension, anxiety, depression, or even just uneasiness. It’s important, now more than ever, to have friends, family, or a mental care team that can be there for you because life is happening regardless of how we feel about it but having spaces to catch yourself will make all the difference.
Lean into experiencing more pleasure
Yes, all of these uncertain changes in the world can be overwhelming so don’t forget to seek out and fully embrace all the pleasure and joy and satisfaction you can in this life. The days of holding out for something better are over. We are taking our joy and not letting anyone tell us we can’t have it all. Experiencing delight should not be something that we look forward to in the near or distant future but find every day. If it’s going o make you happy do it and have no regrets. Tomorrow is not promised.
Protect ALL Your Energy. ALL OF IT!
Physiologically: Breathe (your body needs oxygen and without it, you will die), be conscious of what you are eating and drinking (stay healthy), rest (sleep is necessary for your body to heal), and keep your being clean (bathe and take time to cleanse your inner-self).
Safety: Make a secure livelihood for yourself. Whether be through your career or a side-hustle, find ways to develop financial security for yourself, build a money cushion, and, invest in your future security. Buy land, home, RV, or find another way to construct a stable environment for yourself. Know your worth and add tax because there isn’t a price you can put on security at this point.
Social Satisfaction: I said this already but surround yourself with family and friends who love you and who you feel a connection with. Intimacy is not just for your romantic relationships. It is something we all need and deserve to trust and be vulnerable with others.
Sense of Self: Create and give grace to yourself to do and be more. Study yourself with journaling or writing and work on your own evolution. Use discipline to build strength in yourself in some area of your personal life. Explore activities that you’re curious about and give yourself room to mess up and try again with no consequences. Only you can define yourself. You can change, pivot, grow, shrink, etc but it’s all your choice. Make those choices with the confidence that it’s for you and no one else. Be the best that You can be.
Rest is your right as a being on this planet.
But didn't you say don’t get caught slipping? Yes, I did. Rest and Discipline can coexist. Grind culture is dead. Rest does not have to be earned. It is an exercise in the discipline of self-preservation and self-love. Rest HEALS. It literally provides time for the body tissue to repair itself and we all need that right now. Meditation reduces blood pressure and helps one focus on the task at hand and be less distracted reduce stress on your brain. Stop the chatter of the world around you and just be. It’s good for your mind, body, and spirit.
This calendar year was something else and despite all the BS that came so I could learn these lessons, I’m grateful. I Love Differently because I Am Different than I was before and I look forward to growing in these things because your girl does not have it all figured out. I’m taking it day by day just like the rest of you. So drop in the comments below what 2021 taught you.