If you missed the first half of this, you can go here.
12. More self-care. Companies are starting to get that what we all need is not only downtime but more reasons to nourish ourselves. On a superficial level, this might mean nail polish, facial masks and essential oils. But it could also mean something deeper. More books on ways to take care of ourselves. More free content on yoga, meditation and mindfulness.
13. Rethinking how we’re living our lives. I think prior to 2020 we were taking our lives for granted. We were busy. But unconsciously busy. I don’t know about you, but when I reflect back I was wasting a ton of time reacting to things without awareness, without conscious decisions of what I was doing and why. I think all this time at home with everything happening in the world, has changed that for the better.
14. Deeper conversations. As an INFJ and a highly sensitive person, I welcome this in ways you’ll never know. Gone are talks about the weather and bread (well maybe not all of it), and what’s here to stay is how we’re really feeling, what’s going on in the world, inside us, and what ways are we communicating that’s creating more misunderstanding and discord. This is what the world needs most and I think we’re all feeling the pressure to have these much needed meaningful conversations.
15. Being more authentic. For a long time, I’ve held my true self close to my heart. I still do to a certain extent. But 2020 has forced the me out of me. You see, whereas before words like anxiety and depression, and spirituality would cause me to feel swallowed in a hole of shame, I realize that the real thing to be ashamed about is not sharing my experience. That my experience and its ability to have an impact is way more important than what small-minded people think of me.
16. Meaningful interactions. Are you starting to catch a theme here? I’m sure people will still gab about less important things, but I also feel a shift. In the fear of what we’ve all been through, there are new questions about our lives, who and what matters, and I believe we’ll try our best to have more of these conversations whether on Zoom or when we’re eventually together.
17. Access to global teachers. For an article, I spoke to many people who were forced to change the way they did business. While it was challenging, many have learned ways that allow them to connect with people around the world. This is amazing and wonderful for people like me who live in small corners of the world where accessibility is often a limitation. If I want to connect with a specialist or a world-renowned yoga teacher or Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, I can now through the wonders of technology.
18. More introspection. I’ve spent many weekends doing nothing. And I’m so happy to be able to say that. Previously, I was always wanting to plan my schedule to keep busy because a part of me felt my worth was dependent on my social calendar. What I was in dire need of was more time with myself. More time for lying in bed. More time for reading a book. More time for staring out a window. These precious moments of introspection help me to reconnect with myself. I think we all need this. And 2021 will offer us more of that.
19. Greater faith. These are the dark days that require us to lean on something. For you, it might be God or the sunshine or the trees or the stars or the universe. But it’s a beautiful time to bask in the unknown-a place that commonly bears fear within us. Yet, it’s in this vast emptiness where everything is birth forth through us. It’s where we learn how tiny we are, and how much love we can have for the thing that supports us daily, moment by moment. Spirituality is grown during times like these. And that is certainly something to look forward to and be grateful for.
20. A return to “normalcy.” With vaccines getting rolled out, many of us are anticipating the return to normal. We don’t know exactly what normal will look like in 2021. But we can dream about it. We can anticipate it. We can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel when we can celebrate with friends and family again.
21. A chance to follow our dreams. Maybe 2020 reminded you how short your life is. Maybe you’ve watched as all the things you thought were forever, shifted, and transformed. Maybe all those things you witnessed were heartbreaking and taught you the gift of life. The gift of choice. The gift of allowing your true self to come forth and now you’re ready to begin the next part of your life. The part where you get to follow your dreams.
As someone who has helped people like you travel, write books, and begin the beautiful next chapter of their life, I can help you too. I suffered years of pain from suppressing who I was and it expressed itself as depression and anxiety. When I began to open the door to my true self, I saw the magic of everything I went through and use the years of education and training as a therapist and writer to help you in 2021.