And so we enter the unknown…once more. As we move out of the festive season and into the promising new world, we leave what is undoubtedly one of the strangest years humanity has ever seen, into a new year that will not only change the face of the world but may also define our generation. 2020 – the year all that started.
Seen a quote a few times that despite being quite cheesy, I felt it said an awful lot: “I thought 2020 would be the year I got everything I wanted. Now I know 2020 was the year I appreciated everything I have”
Despite the restrictions that I faced over the last few weeks over Christmas, I actually really enjoyed myself. I felt so grateful for the little things that I did have. Some things that I would normally take for granted, I hugely appreciated and felt grateful for – spending some much needed time with my mum and dad, having the time to do lots of yoga and start doing a bit of tai chi (really quite enjoyed that), meditate, write a few blog posts, get out exercising and spend Christmas day with my mum and dad and my brother and sister with their partners (yes that’s 3 households and 7 people!) and enjoy a great big feast of lots of good food (homemade mushroom soup, turkey with all the trimmings, and a homemade carrot cake….made by me….oh and cheese…so much cheese). I had all these things which, apart from the carrot cake, I would have completely taken for granted every other year. But this year it has been very different. I have been so lucky this year that I could do all these things and spend time with my family. There will have been plenty of people across the country, across the world even who did not get to spend time with their family, could not fill there bellies, nor feed their children let alone give them a present. Not only that, but I’m healthy.
My grandad (the legendary Papa Bert) told me something when I had a chat with him over the phone when I got back. As I explained to him that we cannot see each other this Christmas, to which he replied “we’re no himnest”…or something along those lines (I cannot find this phrase online). It basically means we are not in last place. There is always someone worse off than you. Be grateful for what you do have because so many people have so much less. I’m not intending on making the people that read this feel guilty for having all these things in life and all the family and the food over Christmas, merely just pointing out that I myself felt very grateful and really appreciated and valued all the things that I would normally just take for granted. Of course for many it was a very difficult time, but as such the festivities have finished and while many peoples mental health may have been at its lowest point in the whole year that point has finished. There is hope. If there is anything we have left to cling onto it’s hope. We hope that 2021 and the forward thinking process our governments and our people and our communities are involved in, will allow the next 365 days to be days of progress, days of compassion, days of kindness, days of courage, days of strength and days of hope.
That brings me on nicely to what I wanted to talk about. A word that rhymes with hope…cope.
I feel I have discussed the word coping before in a previous post so I will keep this one brief. Remind yourself, no matter what happens, even if it's going to be unbearably unpleasant, you will always cope. Coping is the best you can do. You might be embarrassed, you might have a full blown anxiety attack if you do that thing that's making you anxious. Not just having that attitude that you will cope, but actually testing it in real life and putting yourself in the situation that's been making you anxious. That's where true personal growth comes from. It's like my other post about cold showers. You will cope. It might be unbearably uncomfortable but you'll cope.
So there it is. The end of a tough year, and the beginning of a hopefully more positive year. I have just got back to Amsterdam where I will now self-isolate for 10 days before returning to doing what I love; teaching children. Very much looking forward to getting back to it. Stay safe, stay positive and have a good year.
