Happy New Year
As 2021 comes to an end we are seeing countless news stories talking about what and who we have lost in 2021. We are constantly hearing about how the COVID-19 virus and how all its variants have changed our lives and what it has cost us. However, we do not spend as much time or effort thinking about what we have gained. As every year passes, we achieve wondrous things, both personally and as a society. As the year ends, we should spend some time reflecting on all the good that happened in 2021.
Overcoming Obstacles
The past year brought many struggles with inflation, supply chain issues, and a shortage in the labor force. However, the American economy thrived, and we banded together and overcame these issues. At times things were not pleasant and we all got frustrated but at the end of the day, and the year, we are still here and we are still succeeding. We tackled each issue as it came up and moved forward toward the future together. At the start of 2021, vaccines were highly sought after and people would wait in long lines to get one. Today, the vaccine is accessible to anyone who wants to get it. As a society we found a way to make this possible. Unfortunately, there will always be medical challenges that seemly appear out of nowhere, but if the past year proves anything is we are up for the challenge. So, when you hear the news talking about all the problems that the virus has caused, spend a few minutes to reflect on all that we have achieved in combating it.
The same positive light can be shed on our professional life. Almost every business has had some sort of supply or personnel issues the past year, but Christmas still happened. People were still able to find gifts for their loved ones. It is worth mentioning that we had to get more creative than usual and often finding the right gift was stressful, but we got it done. Our companies found a way to meet these challenges and have adjusted business operations to accommodate them. We now can work remotely with ease. We can get what we want from most stores without even going inside, and we have shaped the future of businesses. At some point in our lives, we will face new challenges to being successful in our professions, if we have learned anything from the events of 2021 it should be that we can overcome whatever problems we might face and be successful doing it.
Remembering the Good
This time of year, many of us think about all the events we missed and all the plans we had to rework because someone we know had COVID. It has likely happened to everyone at some point and truthfully it does suck. However, we have also found new ways to interact with each other and different ways to connect. In person family reunions were rare in 2021; however, virtual video calls with entire families became the new norm. These events allowed everyone to connect safely and provided a new way of making fond memories. Furthermore, these reunions often included the whole family and saved people a lot of money and time. There was no large travel expense or difficult logistical planning to ensure everyone could attend. It is important to state that being together in person is always preferable, but the ability for everyone to video chat was a nice substitution. Going forward we can schedule video calls in addition to in person meetings. This way everyone can grow closer together. Ultimately a pandemic that separated us has created the tools to bring us closer together now and into the future.
Family
Nothing is more important to us then our families. As 2021 ends and 2022 begins we need to think about who we have gained, who we have lost, and all the milestones of the past year. Did you or a close family member have a child? Was a loving member of your family lost? Who had a milestone birthday and who had life changing event? There is no set of rules on what milestones should be celebrated and it is up to us to decide what we remember about 2021. We must ensure our fond memories are preserved and shared among our friends and families. We can post pictures online, we can send out holiday cards, we can even create webpages. It does not matter what we do to celebrate and remember the positive events of the past year, all that matters is we have the memories to look back at. We cannot change the past and it is up to us to embrace it.
The past year brought hardship and triumph. It brought pain and it brought joy. What we choose to remember about it is up to us. Think positive and remember the good times. Life is about making memories and never forgetting to cherish them. As we head into 2022 think about the year as another opportunity to live our best lives and enjoy the moments. Happy New Year to everyone. Let’s all make 2022 special in our own way.