Some of you might be rolling your eyes at the title of this post. And I get it. After all that 2020 has thrown at us this year, who wants to think about the important life lessons we have learned, right?
I don’t blame you! We’re fatigued, frustrated, and Zoomed out. We all need a vacation but of course, the joke’s on us because there’s nowhere to go.
So you might think, what important life lessons can we take away from this year when all we’ve been doing is treading water and trying to stay afloat?
It’s challenging to see the important life lessons we’ve learned when we’re still in the middle of a life-changing event. It’s like that saying, we can’t see the forest for the trees. But I’ve been thinking about this a lot and I do think we learned some lessons this year that are important to reflect on.
Call them takeaways, realizations, or perhaps they are the life lessons that deep down, we’ve always known to be true, but had to see them put to the test to be reminded of their existence.
However you want to look back on this year, I think these 5 important life lessons will ring true for many of us not just now, but for years to come.
Related: How Are You Feeling About the New Normal?
5 Important Life Lessons We Learned in 2020
Experiences Are More Important Than Things
We had to give up a lot of things in 2020. And I think we realized that most of it we could live without. We don’t need as much as we think to do to really enjoy our lives and feel engaged.
On the flip side, there were things we had to give up this year that we do truly miss, and I’m guessing that everything on that list has nothing to do with material possessions.
Instead, it’s about the intangibles – seeing and spending quality time with family. Hugging friends and hanging out with them. Traveling and experiencing new places, people and things. Enjoying a meal at a restaurant or a night out at your local bar. I think the important life lesson that 2020 has taught us is that what really fills us up and makes us feel complete has nothing to do with our possessions.
Our Communities Sustain Us
Was anyone else in awe of how communities came together this year to help each other out? It was remarkable to see how people stepped up and sacrificed to help their neighbors and communities. From the brave healthcare workers, the courageous essential workers, and food pantries feeding those in need, to communities all over the country who came out in droves to stand with BIPOC and support the Black Lives Matter movement, this year has shown us how important our communities are for sustaining us.
Nature Is Healing
We couldn’t do much this year, but one thing that was and is always available to us is nature. And how healing it is. Many of us took to the outdoors however we could, to get some fresh air, a change of scenery, and perhaps a reminder that we are all a part of and connected to something bigger.
For my husband and me, that meant daily walks in Prospect Park, the largest city park in Brooklyn. During the lockdown in NYC last spring, these daily walks became our refuge from all of the doom and gloom of the news and the pandemic. And we always returned feeling a bit refreshed and happier. For us, the important life lesson we learned is that we always want nature to be a part of our life.
Sometimes the Simple Things Are the Best Things
This year, we turned to so many simple things to help us get through the pandemic. We learned to knit and bake bread. We completed jigsaw puzzles and adult coloring books. We collapsed on the couch with a glass of wine after a stressful day of work and home-schooling. At the time, these activities felt like coping mechanisms. And while they were, I think we also learned an important lesson about these simple moments.
Often, these simple tasks and moments bring us the most joy and satisfaction. How rewarding was it when you finished knitting that first hat? Or baking that first loaf of bread? (For me, it was banana bread and a variety of desserts. I’m not normally a baker but found much comfort in following the regimented steps of baking recipes.)
Whatever activity it is you found to help you get through this, I’m guessing it also brought you a feeling of contentment. And we need to remember this when our lives become insanely busy again. We need to remember the life lesson that sometimes the simple things are the most important.
We Are In This Together Whether We Like It or Not
If you live in the United States, then you know how polarizing this year has been for our country. From the way the pandemic has been handled to the presidential election, we learned that there is a huge divide in our country. And it is not helping any of us.
We currently have the highest number of cases and deaths from Covid-19 in the world. And we have taken many scientific facts (like the benefits of wearing a mask) and politicized them. We have become a cautionary tale for the rest of the world.
Think about how crazy this is.
A few years ago, if someone had told you there would be a major, world-wide pandemic and that the United States would end up with the highest total of deaths and cases, you would have thought that was insane, right? How could our country, the most prosperous in the world, the leader in modern medicine and so many other industries, and a nation that others look to for guidance, be in the worst shape in the world?
It’s because we are so divided, and we no longer want to hear what the other side has to say. We no longer know how (or care) to engage in meaningful and constructive conversations with those whose opinions differ from ours.
We can’t survive like this. We are in this together whether we like it or not, and we must figure out a way to listen to each other again, and work together, or we will face existential crises in the future that are insurmountable. So perhaps, this is one of the most important life lessons of all.
What Important Life Lessons Have You learned This Year?
What about you? What important life lessons have you learned in 2020? What has the pandemic taught you? And do any of the things I mentioned above resonate with you?
I am usually a very positive person so I hate that this blog post is a bit of a downer, but I think that 2020 has been a year of reckoning for us.
It’s time for us to recognize what truly matters. We need to take a long hard look at how we were living prior to this pandemic (and through it), and how we want to live in the future.
There’s still hope, and there’s still time. We can learn from these important life lessons. We can acknowledge everything this pandemic and 2020 has taught us and start 2021 with the knowledge and perspective of how we can make things better, for ourselves and others.
As we usher in the holidays this year, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. And even if you can’t spend the holidays with your family this year, I hope you can still find pleasure and joy in the simple things. I know that’s my plan. Along with baking holiday cookies. Lots and lots of holiday cookies!
Happy holidays and best wishes for a New Year filled with love, happiness, and success for all of us!
Related: Some End of Year Thoughts
No Comments