Reflections and Life Lessons from an Extraordinary Year

I started putting these together in retrospect as an appreciation for a very rough year that somehow put all things on a standstill, and yet quite the contrary accelerated some of my dreams, and put some of my heart's desires into motion.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

It can‘t be argued, 2020 left some kind of mark on humankind. Unlike any other year in this lifetime, 2020 was the year I personally experienced love and grief across a spectrum of intensities, and strangely enough, I believe we ALL went through that together.

Sitting across the fireplace in the early days of 2021, my thoughts wander back to the beginning of the year that was. Oh, what an intense year it has been! And yet, something in me can’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that 2020 brought with it. I say this with much respect to those who have gone through or still are, in the middle of their grief and pain.

Here are some reflections and life lessons I’ve put together throughout the year, written in the second person to remind me during conversations with myself, that even in the days of defeat and darkness, there is light in the world and I am called (we all are!) to carry that light into new roads and new rivers in 2021, personally and professionally.

1. Be grateful always (oh, and especially for the small things!).
2. No matter how hard the circumstances may be, remember that you are human, you are not perfect and yet you have the power to change the narrative.
3. Love yourself lavishly. It reflects your capacity to love others.
4. You are worth it. Period. Don’t ever second guess yourself.
5. Closed doors are often answered prayers. Learn to find the open window and breathe in that space.
6. Hold on to your commitments with integrity. It gets you far, especially when the going gets tough.
7. Don’t feel sorry about walking away from toxic relationships. Shake the dust off your feet and be extremely successful in recognizing the ones that are absolutely worth your time and attention.
8. You might feel like living in a bubble, but you, my friend, hold the colors to spruce up that bubble. Go crazy with what you have in your hands!
9. Emotions and thoughts are not the same, yet they are equally powerful in expressed form. Use them well!
10. Follow the 4-second, 4-minute, 4-hour, 4-day, 4-how-much-you-need rule to breathe. That pause is all the growth you need to decide how to frame your response.
11. Raise the bar. Higher. Growth is a never-ending process. Stay the course and keep unlocking new levels at your own pace. Every single time.
12. “Comparison is a thief of joy” (Theodore Roosevelt). Your dreams, your goals, your gifts are all your own. You can only compare your progress with yourself.
13. Be unapologetic about taking your time to rest. Your body and soul will thank you for it.
14. Give yourself the space to heal, to evolve, and to discover new prowess.
15. Be gentle with yourself and kinder towards others. You just won over the silent battles you were fighting all year. In fact, we all just survived and fought through 2020. Tap it hard, girl!
16. Watch the company you keep. Loyalty is not free trade. Your tribe will find you. Go hustle, be nice, love people, and foster healthy, meaningful relationships.
17. Be intentional in building up others. Never hold back to share what you know. Knowledge only holds value when shared and used to lift others up.
18. Your name has already been written in books you have yet to write. Go pick up that pen and get moving.
19. Make room for the new. Always. Go ahead, don’t be afraid to unlearn old patterns. They have served you for a season. You deserve a fresh canvas!
20. Leave competition at the door and enter a mindset of abundance. Channel generosity to find beauty and meaning in connection and collaboration. We are all in this together!

These little snippets of self-dialogue have taken me through this year of unprecedented growth. It’s hard to fathom the depth of introspection, and the tough yet rewarding decisions I’ve made this year. If you landed here by chance, I hope these will be useful for you and that they will bring you encouragement and new perspectives as you tread lightly into 2021, with new hopes and bigger, bolder dreams. Let‘s make this our best one yet!