In a survey of 100 people, the most popular answer to what people learned in the last year is:
A) We can't predict anything
B) Who their true inner circle is
C) Everyone is apparently a medical expert
D) Social Media usage is at an all time high
I actually have no idea what 100 people might say but I do know what my social media circle said about the last year. Overall, the world slowed down. We found quiet. Peace. Inclusion in our homes. We realized mental health is as important as physical health. We began to more fully acknowledge the social injustice and started to take real action. We recognized the companies that cared for us as individuals and those that didn't look back after massive job cuts. How companies responded to outcries of the communities and the ways in which our personal communities responded brought more conversation forward when all we had was time.
Time also afforded us the chance to reflect on our lifestyles. So many of us have been caught up in overbooked calendars, chasing instagram worthy lifestyles, and listening more to others than what our hearts, minds, and souls yearned for. The pandemic has been labeled as life altering and I think in some ways, it's one of the best resets many needed. As someone in a generation who continues to see life alterations each decade, I know that rainbows come at the end of some of the worst storms.
Reflecting on the changes that the last year brought, I realized my habits drastically altered with it:
- Saying no because my personal comfort and judgement is a choice I have a right to exercise
- Long walks with friends are often better than a glass of wine in the living room together
- Investing in my home and my self are well spent dollars
- Choosing meaningful friends and pouring time and effort in are better in quality than quantity
- Being a homebody over constant evenings out
- Spending more time with family
- Learning to be still and rest
- Centering activities around the outdoors
- Work from home requirements (WFH)
