WHAT 2020 TAUGHT ME

 

Every motivational speaker has a storyline for the pros and cons of the past year. This 20 something-year-old woman is just writing with her borrowed pen on a hot, beautiful Thursday.

What did 2020 teach me? I’m thinking too from the lenses of all the ways I’m human and normal.

I really can’t say what stood out most; it’ll be more of the realization that humans are not infallible, and everyone needs to have a God they believe in.

First-quarter of the year was just ‘arrghh,’ and ‘urghhh,’ and I don’t have keynotes on that one; then the 2nd quarter was uneventful with covid happening and just the world acting like it was ending.

Last quarter was a good one, with lessons and truths and experiences that would launch me into the new year, inspiring me to write the poem about the boys whose names start with an A.

But as with the norm, I’ll tell you three things I learned.

1. You need a support system, regardless of how self-sufficient you have become and the magic powers you possess to self-soothe; you need people in your corner. You need people, one or many or few, who have a genuine care for you, for the person you are, for the ways you can be. Your support system could be family or friends, but it’s nonetheless essential to have shoulders you can fall back on without breaking a neck.

2. You need to be intentional about your growth. I know this part doesn’t exactly come easy, you know it’s tough enough even to be aware of how you want to grow, but you’ve got to push yourself, work your mind into accepting that it’s way capable of strength, the type that leads you to conquer the world. Everyone battles with their issues, so it’s your responsibility to build yourself.

3. You need to believe in something. When I talk about belief, it’s really about what you trust, what authority counts for you. Whose words stick it together for your mind. Believe in something, something positive about your life. Something positive about your plans. Something about your God. You’ve got to hold on to something; it gets easier from there.

I held on to my faith, I held on to promises I believe are for my life, and I still hold on to it even tomorrow.

“Life in itself can get really hard, it could blow you off even when you think you’re so grounded but you’ll be fine. 2020 showed me once more that there’s so much strength in the tiniest person and if we even believe this then our minds have made the first win.”

Your turn, what did 2020 teach you?