Learning from Loss #2020Lesssons

I honestly feel as if the collective world is breathing a sigh of relief. 2021 cannot come soon enough, can it?

2020 was a roller coaster ride of one discouraging event after another. And some of those events are still with us, at no fault of our own. Which led millions of Americans to go to the voting booths to make a change for the better. And the change that is coming is a relief for America and the world.

I was thinking over the weekend about what I have learned this year that made a mark on my life, my learning experiences and how some of those experiences guided me to make changes in my daily life. I was surrounded by loss at times. I cried. I picked myself up. I coped by the lessons I learned.

The main lesson was and will be communication, and yet in some circumstances, a silent lack of response. I learned this year that reaching out and calling someone was the most important action I accomplished. So many friends, family, clients, acquaintances were so eager to talk. I had to close my laptop so that I had no distractions; I realized right away I needed to listen. Some of those conversations were difficult, some of the conversations were heartfelt. Some of those conversations were long overdue. Reconnection was the result for many people in my life I had not called in a very long time.

And then there were the conversations that taught me life lessons. The main lesson was eliminating the negativity that had somehow made its way into my life. These conversations were not just between friends but between others on social media. Now I literally stop myself before I hit the send button. Is that comment worth it? No. Will I change that person’s mind? No. Do facts matter? For me yes, but not necessarily for the other person. So, the best way to proceed was and from now on will be to let it go.

I also learned that a simple act or gesture of kindness brings a smile to both the giver and receiver. I always have been a giver, but this year in particular those acts were more meaningful for me and for the other person. I realized we all needed something, no matter how small. We were all starving for something good.

I am taking my Christmas decorations down today and packing it all up. I am moving on toward 2021 and taking my lessons forward.

#LifeLesson #MakeADifference #Communication