What 2020 Has Thought Us?

2020 has been one of those years— full of challenges, fears, and a lot of tears.

For me, this year has constantly brought to mind the following passage from the Bible. At times, I’ve questioned its truth. But then I take a step back and look at the pandemic and some of the good it has done for humanity.

1 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 10:13 (𝙉𝙄𝙑) - 𝙉𝙤 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙛𝙪𝙡; 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙙, 𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩.

Tempting as it’s sometimes been this year to say, “To hell with quarantining, I’m going out!”, for most of us, our better judgment has prevailed. As a result, we’re spending more time with our loved ones than ever before. As tough as it has been staying at home month after month this year, unable to see friends and extended family like we normally would, 2020 has made us appreciate our immediate family and has helped us to realize how much we love those closest to us.

Pollution has dropped for the first time in my lifetime. While I’ve never considered myself an environmentalist, I’ve grown increasingly concerned during the past several years about the damage we’re doing to our planet. With the pandemic came a massive reduction in car and air traffic emissions, reducing air and water pollution to levels not seen in decades. Just take a look at the photo below of Los Angeles before and after COVID-19. It’s remarkable!

Hitting home for many in this Group has been the impact the pandemic has had on nutrition. We’ve been forced to eat at home more which has brought an awareness of what and how we eat. I’m the first to admit that pre-pandemic I ate out far too often. And although I generally tried to eat “healthy” when I did eat out, nothing compares to the health impact that shopping for myself has had on my diet and overall health. Cooking at home has hopefully taught us all about the importance of what we put in our body and the impact what we eat has on our overall health. It’s been a real eye-opener for me! Hopefully, it’s made some beneficial changes in your diet and health as well.

𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗬𝗢𝗡𝗗

Will we learn anything as a result of the pandemic? Sadly, I’m not so sure we will. Humans are notoriously bad at repeating mistakes. But as we look ahead to the future, let’s not forget about what we’ve learned about our life, our health, our relationships, and our planet — that each is very fragile. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that our actions today don’t matter for tomorrow. They do. Like I’ve written in many previous posts, keep your eye on the prize. Slow and steady wins the race. If we all set small daily goals to improve ourselves and the world we live in, the cumulative change will be enormous over time.

As human beings, we all share the same sorrows, the same hopes, the same potential. The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us how interdependent we are: what happens to one person can soon affect many others, even on the far side of our planet.

Therefore, it is up to all of us to try to cultivate peace of mind and to think about what we can do for others, including those that we never see. It is natural to feel worry and fear at a time when so many are suffering. But only by developing calmness and clear-sightedness can we help others and, in so doing, even help ourselves. In my own life, I have often found that it is the most difficult challenges that have helped me gain strength.

The current global health crisis also reminds us that what affects the human race family has to be addressed by all of us. The solution to this, as with many other problems, especially concerning the environment, depends on international cooperation. Ultimately, if humanity is to thrive, we must remember that we are one.

2020 has been a year we’ll quickly want to forget. But don’t ever forget all the important lessons this global crisis has taught us about life, love, freedom, and our planet — They’re all fleeting if not continuously nurtured.