5 things I learnt in 2020

What a year we are moving away from. I know there is a desire to move on from this year, and put it all behind us but there have been some huge learnings for me this year, about myself and about the world and it would be a shame not to honour that! In amongst the craziness, there has been a ton of growth, so here are a few things I’m taking away from this year.

1. Get clear on your values....

WOW have we been confronted with ourselves this year. We have been tested a lot this year - How do we feel about a global pandemic? Who do we believe? Who do we trust? Are we anti-vaxers, pro-maskers, right wing or left wing, not racist or anti-racist? We have been asked to pick a side many times this year, and tensions have run high. Whilst i’d like to say there is a no right or wrong, I can’t, and that is because I got very clear on my values. Every test gave me an opportunity for reflection and clarity on what was important to me and how I viewed the world. I was able to narrow down on who I trust and what I believe, and what I feel was right or wrong. Knowing where we stand is so important for this time ahead of us.

2. That we are a constant work in progress and that's OK.

If you haven't learn't anything, where the hell have you been?! It has been humbling to be challenged and questioned, but it's been tough and thats OK. This year has highlighted that no one person has the answers to everything, and that is OK, as long as you are growing. It is messy, you will screw it up, your will loose friends, you will make new ones and so the cycle will continue. Embrace the process.

3. That positivity and optimism really does help....but balance is key!

This isn't about toxic positivity, anything but. It is obviously important to feel what you feel, the dark side, the negativity, the anxiety, all of it! But when we can find the positivity in the darkness and the hope and optimism in that shadow, THAT is how we move through it and keep our head above water. Remaining positive about the is future isn't a denial of how crap it has all been, but it gives us the possibility of something to look forward to. Keeping a positive mindset and being optimistic that I will be sat on a beach in the near future is a sure fire way to keep me going!

4. To remember what is truly important.

We have all been forced to adjust our lives this year. Not been able to see friends, taken time out of work, spent more time with our partners, not been able to travel or see family. It definitely helped me realise was was important to me and what is worth putting my energy into, and what isn't. I started this year with a whole list of things I wanted to achieve, and a vauge knowledge of what my life was going to look like, and it didn’t turn out exactly that way. In the process of having to adapt I was able to reflect on what I was really missing, and what I really wanted to focus on nurturing.

5. That we are all stronger than we think we are.

We did it! We made it to the end of what has no doubt been the most challenging year of most of our lives. We have all faced our own challenges and whilst some have, for sure, suffered more than others, it is all relative. Your suffering is no less or worse than any body else's. Our threshold for suffering is all different, and everyone one of us has shown enormous amounts of strength and resilience in the face of such intense adversity. The ongoing uncertainty of this year, the losses we have faced, the grief we have endured, the opportunities we have missed, and plans cancelled, yet we have picked ourselves back up time and time again, and faced it with grace and dignity.

You may not feel like it. You may feel like you haven't coped very well at all, but the fact you are still here, breathing and waking up everyday proves that you are an absolute badass, and I'm proud of you!

Heres hoping we can carry through all that we now know into 2021! xx