What 2020 has taught me...

I don’t often write as it’s not my forte, and people that know me very well know that I’m not an overly emotional person, don’t worry this isn’t some soppy piece that’s going to show a softer side, but I wanted to share what I have gotten out of such a turbulent and what most would consider a darn right crappy year, and hey if this resonates with just one other person, than great!

This year started out the same as every other for me, that ground hog off to work we go Monday to Friday, the commute on the train, the hustle and bustle. But as we all know, that didn’t last.

I remember watching the news about COVID-19 and how it was affecting the rest of the world, China in particular, thinking, hoping, that it wasn’t going to hit Australia (or my home country NZ – shout out to my fellow Kiwis!).

Fast forward to March, and all of a sudden we are being told to work from home, another few weeks pass and we are witness to some of the delights of humanity – who would’ve thought stockpiling of loo paper would make headline news around the world. 

After the terrible bushfires that ravaged Australia last year, surely we had had enough. But no, not only did we now have a pandemic to deal with, but we saw the inhumane killing of George Floyd which helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement.

So what has this all taught me, maybe taught is the wrong word, I think realised is probably more apt, and none of this is new…

I’ve realised I can’t control the world

As much as I often joke “if I ruled the world…” nobody has this control, for sure individuals can have a huge impact, but we are a collective, one person might start something, but it takes many more to spark a movement and make change. “We are all in this together” is such a fitting saying – not just for what has happened this year, but for everything – we should remember that.

I’ve realised things will change – whether we like it or not

Getting into our own little comfort zones, oblivious to what is going on may be nice sometimes, but this is unrealistic and 2020 has shown us that, we haven’t been able to say – “Oh that is happening overseas, it won’t happen here”. The impact that COVID-19 has had on the way we live is going to continue for a very long time, whether it’s the way we greet people, the way we work, the way we travel and holiday, through to being more aware of what is happening on a global scale. The new norm.

I’ve realised the way we react will shape our future

This is probably what has struck me the most in 2020. It’s true that this has been a harder year for some than others, whether it’s the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job and income, the loss of what some feel is our freedom, we have all been impacted. But it is how we choose to react to what is happening that really does shape who we are and our future success. It’s normal to be upset, angry, confused – there is an array of emotions that make us human that we will go through when something significant occurs, but as we cannot control the world and change is going to happen whether we like it or not, we have to take each day at a time and think of how we can make the best of a bad situation.

I know for me being made redundant this year was a difficult pill to swallow, so yes, my initial reaction was not a happy one, all of a sudden I was out of work, and like so many others starting to worry that there wasn’t going to be anything for me with the way economy was and still is.

But I also have had a lot of free time to devote to my hobby/passion – so there’s an upside (it just doesn’t pay the bills). 

This year has created an opportunity for me and many others to re-evaluate their career, even though you may not have wanted to in the first place, this can be a very insightful process – when employed we spend so much time at work that we should really be doing something we enjoy. I truly believe Alexander Graham Bell’s quote of “when one door closes another door opens” is true – but you have to be the one to turn that handle and put yourself out there.

So, no I can’t control the world, otherwise it would be a very different place, and things are going to keep changing, whether I want them to or not, but I am choosing to react in a positive way rather than “woe is me” and I am sure that ultimately things will get better, or at least I will have a brighter outlook when I pour that second glass of wine!

Bring on 2021!