How has 2020 been for you? It’s the end of the year, and what a year it’s been! It reminds us of the opening paragraph by Charles Dickens in his book, A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

Now doesn’t that about sum it up! Who knew that Dickens, besides being an excellent writer, was also a prophet? 2020 will forever be linked to COVID-19, social unrest, rioting, burning of businesses and public buildings, increased violence and all the loss, devastation and heartbreak that came as a result. We saw political division that had negative effects on friendships and even families (the worst of times).

We also observed people giving of their time and finances to support and comfort people they didn’t know, because it was the right thing to do.  We saw people of different ethnicities having honest conversations with each other about social issues that were long overdue. We saw tireless and brave frontline workers of many types help us with our safety, health and food. We saw private industry work together to bring about vaccines in record time. We saw the ingenuity of how we could still connect with each other even in the midst of a “lockdown” (the best of times).

What positive life lessons did we learn, or at least were reinforced, as a result of 2020? We saw how people can be resilient in the midst of crises. Our country has been through wars, financial depression and even pandemics before. We can do it again.
We learned how important our faith is to staying in a good frame of mind. Faith in God, or your Higher Power, can help you through the darkest times.

We also learned to accept help from others. As success coaches, we like to help others but it’s more difficult for us to accept help. Doug’s mother was living with us at the end of her life when she passed away peacefully from old age. As people helped us in many different ways to get through that difficult time, we realized what a blessing it was for us!

Another lesson we learned is that, even in tough times, humor can help us raise our spirits and help us see things from a different perspective. You also might have been the recipient of some humorous emails during this time that helped bring a much-needed smile to your face or maybe even a full-blown belly laugh!

We’ll share a couple of things we found humorous in an email that we recently received:
–        We can all agree that in 2015 not a single person got the answer correct to this question – “Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?”
–        Perhaps you’ll enjoy this one.  If 2020 were a math word-problem:  You’re going down a river at 2 MPH and your canoe loses a wheel, how much pancake mix would you need to re-shingle your roof?
Ok, that was bizarre, but that’s the point – so was 2020!

A lesson we re-learned was the importance of friends and family. Maybe you’ve also enjoyed more reconnection with friends from years ago, and possibly more calls or virtual meetings with family. We have had more messages from, and phone calls with, high school classmates this year than we’ve had in many years!

Patience is another lesson we learned. When there are things we can’t control, we have the choice to try and make the best of it. There are also many other lessons we learned that will serve us well in the future. As Oliver Steele said, “Life’s lessons take a lifetime to learn, that’s just how it is in life’s classroom.”

As we reflect on 2020 and move into the New Year, we resolve to never forget the positive lessons that we learned and know that we have become stronger through this difficult yet illuminating time.

What about you? What were the lessons you learned from this historic year? Let’s all work together to not repeat the mistakes of 2020. May 2021 be known as the year of wisdom, not foolishness, light, not darkness, hope, not despair. As we reflect back a year from now, may we be able to say, “It was the best of times.”

Chanhassen MN residents, Doug and Lynn Nodland are success coaches and owners of The Balance Center in Excelsior. Contact them at WeCare@TheBalanceCenter.com

© Doug and Lynn Nodland 2020 Articles and videos may be shared in their entirety with attribution.