2021 was one hell of an interesting year. Starting with a terrifying attack on our Capitol and ending with a still-raging pandemic, it’s been a year to remember. Maybe you won’t remember it fondly, but I’m guessing you will remember it. Our country feels divided and shaky. We’ve lost millions to a devastating disease, and many may struggle with symptoms for years. COVID wasn’t kidding and woe to those of us who didn’t give it the respect it demanded.
It’s not going to be hard to say goodbye to 2021 and I’m certainly not going to assume that 2022 will be any easier. Yet, I always like to look back and think about the year, about what worked, what didn’t, what I learned, and what I want to bring into the next year. 2021 offered more lessons than I had hoped for, but I can’t pretend that they didn’t happen. They certainly did.
Life is incredibly fragile, short, and so wonderful. It would be easy to cancel 2021 for all the challenges it brought, and yet we can still find things to be grateful for. #gratitude #NewYear Click To TweetHere are some lessons I learned in 2021:
- We are more resilient than we think we are. Americans (and the world) adapted to virtual work better than we thought we would. Many of us adapted to mask mandates and vaccine mandates without too much difficulty, though many apparently would disagree with that statement.
- Trying to argue with people about most anything from the virus to masks to vaccines is truly a waste of time and effort. It wasn’t easy, but I dropped the rope with many people and found myself happier and less aggravated. I didn’t stop caring, but I detached myself from having to prove myself right or others wrong. The facts remained the same, but it wasn’t my job to force them on others.
- Science is freaking incredible. Truly. The miracle of modern medicine, the scientists who developed a lifesaving vaccine, as well as treatments for COVID are modern day heroes. Even more heroic has been the medical professionals who have given everything to care for so many of us infected with COVID. I’m so grateful to all of them. Profoundly grateful.
- Challenging times call for us to build our resilience, to strengthen our resolve, and to truly have faith in life and each other. Knowing that ultimately, we are the owners of our lives, our health, our happiness, our relationships, all of it is both empowering and terrifying. Embracing all of it makes us stronger, and being with others who sought to do just that was life-enhancing for me.
- As has been the case for the past ten years, I have found ridiculous joy and hope from my coaching clients, coaching students, and attendees of the trainings that I have done. Seeing the aspirations, the strength, the challenges, the fierceness of each person that I met and worked with was the most profound and beautiful aspect of this challenging year. Show people kindness, compassion, and non-judgment and they will soar and help others to do the same.
- Family is everything. Whether it’s the family you were born into or the family you have made with friends and others, keep them close, love them unconditionally, and forgive easily.
Life is incredibly fragile, short, and so wonderful. It would be easy to cancel 2021 for all the challenges that it brought, and yet I’m grateful for it. 2021 kicked my butt in so many ways. It taught me that no matter what, we get up the next day and try again. We are the masters of our lives and 2021 forced us to look at that in ways that most of us had never planned. I thought 2020 was pretty darn awful, and then 2021 said, “Hold my beer.” 2022, let’s see what lessons you have in store.
Happy New Year wonderful people. Thank you for being you.
Love,
Lisa Kaplin Psy. D. PCC