5 Life Lessons We Learned This Year That We Should Never Forget
I've been reflecting on all of the life lessons we've learned this year (sometimes, the hard way). It made me reflect on what I truly learned and what I intend to carry with me into the coming year (and the years after). Whatever the case may be, one thing is certain: we must never forget these lessons.
Let's face it: no one has had an easy year this year. Unless, of course, you own stock in a major tech company. Most of us, on the other hand, have had to learn some very difficult lessons. But here's the thing: we've also discovered some amazing things about each other and ourselves.
Things rarely go as planned.
When something goes wrong, we all like to say things like, "People plan, and God laughs," or throw out a quick, "Well, you know what they say about the best-laid plans." However, I don't think we realized how true those little clichés were until this year.
Even if you are one of those people who “plan for every contingency,” I bet you never thought in a million years, “I better have a backup idea in mind in case the plague strikes.” I'm sure that never occurred to me!
We must stop taking so many things for granted.
If there's one thing this year has taught us, it's how much we take for granted. I'm not talking about trivial matters. Don't get me wrong: I'll never again take toilet paper for granted! I'm talking about the big things—people, families, and even life itself. Being unable to see the people we care about in person puts things into perspective.
On the other hand, this lesson taught us that we don't require nearly as much to be happy as we thought we did.
From canceled vacations to simple things like not being able to sit together in restaurants, we learned that it's not the places themselves that matter, but the people we meet there. Is that what you mean?
We are not all in the same boat, but we are all caught up in the same storm.
When all of this began in the first of the 752 weeks of March, I remember seeing a meme that had good intentions but completely missed the point. It said something along the lines of, "Keep calm, we're all in the same boat!"
But here's the thing: we're not in the same boat. This year taught us that some people sail on yachts while others struggle in a leaking canoe with only one paddle. However, we are all caught in the same storm. So let us concentrate on that. After all, it is one of the things that binds us together.
Can you imagine how quickly things would improve if those with yachts sent out lifeboats to all of those drowning in leaking canoes? I don't mean in a monetary sense, either. The lifeboat could represent using your privilege to advocate for others, or using your voice to speak for those who are unable to speak for themselves.
It could be as simple as ensuring that an elderly neighbor has everything she requires during a lockdown.
That brings me to...
To overcome obstacles, we must all work together.
Another important life lesson that I believe we are still learning is that we can only overcome the most difficult challenges by working together. I remember being enraged early on after seeing someone on Twitter say, "I take care of myself and my family, everyone else can go..." You can fill in the blanks for yourself.
Consider where we would be if everyone thought this way. Take a look at where we are because so many people still do! We may each be a "island" when it comes to trivial matters that affect no one but ourselves. However, when it comes to replacing illness with wellness, changing injustices, or even combating nature herself, we cannot succeed unless we all work together. Period.
Some broken things are never truly repaired...
One of the most heartbreaking life lessons we learned this year was that sometimes things break for good. We all have our breaking points, our uncrossable lines, no matter how hard we try not to let politics tear us apart. When someone crosses that line or shatters your perception of them, it's nearly impossible to return to the way it was.
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