Why 2020 can be seen as a blessing
A few days ago, I saw a post on my Facebook feed, different from many other recently seen posts. The post was an invitation to be grateful for the amazing blessing 2020 has given to us. A gift. Un cadeau.
A gift to humanity, so to say.
Truth to be told, for many, it seems impossible to imagine this year as a gift. An invitation sounding like that must have come out of the mouths of hippies (not that I’m against, I’m almost one too here) or some way too much into positive thinking psychology folks. In other words — for those who are jobless, whose finances, health, or emotional well-being are destroyed — it’s more than clear that last year hit the bottom line. Objectively. No judgments here.
Luckily and thankfully, I sit in that other camp. To my close ones and me, COVID-19 hasn’t done any objective harm yet, in none of the basic areas. It has caused complications and unpleasant moments, yes, ruined my plans over and over again, that as well, yes, but that’s about to top.
Hence, although selfishly, I’m kind of curious to look at it as a year full of blessings. Where should I begin?
As many in the last year already realized, this whole sit at home, do nothing and save planet thing had many side effects. Various side effects, that obviously differed for many, and yet crystalized few main ones, that obviously were the same for everyone.
Basically, we all experienced loss. And we all were obliged to collectively change our daily lives. And stop. Everywhere. As so many fields of activities were paralyzed.
Stop. That’s the word. Stop whatever we had been so utterly occupied with earlier.
I mean, let’s face it, the 2020 pandemic was (and still is) the most massive thing to be experienced since..?
Ok, maybe since ever in the modern history of times. It has forced everyone to accept the exact same rules. No exceptions.
And what happens when we push people to stop doing whatever keeps them busy. Correct. Whatever they want to escape from, whatever there’s never time to notice, whatever that’s just not important enough to think about yet, creeps in.
The first thing that 2020 did for me, it made me re-evaluate everything. I believe this happened for many of us. I started with my work and professional aspirations, followed by my daily routines and the information I consume. Continued with my health, obviously. My freedom, too, naturally. My attitude towards the relationships. The list could go on and on…
And then there was this second thing that happened. One paradox that I would identify as the main root of that famous “just don’t miss it while still young & free’’ — I feel like I definitely participate in and have now been obliged to quit for almost a year already. FOMO. Put otherwise — fear of missing out.
You see, I am a millennial—a typical one. During my upbringing, Soviet Union collapsed, my country joined European Union, borders were finally open, and import bananas finally became accessible. As generation researchers and experts say — change of structures caused us to distrust anything constant and permanent.
As researchers continue, it also left us with much higher anxiety rates, less willing to stick to things, and much more flexible-freedom lovers and experiences’ catchers.
But the paradox of choice, as in that Barry Schwartz TED talk, does no good here. He himself explains it best.
In the world before the pandemic — I was so drenched with millions of possibilities what to do with my life that I could hardly ever be able to calmly enjoy anything.
Study this. Travel there. Date and move in a “settling down” direction. Date and don’t move in that direction. Have a pet. Don’t have a pet; it’s responsibility. Create a home. Don’t do that, what home, you can’t get attached to anything except your backpack. You still have to make memories.
With such an abundance of opportunities, a sea of options — it should be the best time to live on Earth, shouldn’t it?
Well, not really. For me, it wasn’t. My mind would constantly go like — but what if? And what that? (..) I mean, you get the picture.
2020, with such limited options of activities, wanted we it or no, put us all in the one, same boat. New Netflix series. Vaccine around the corner. A new way of exercising in the apartment. Running records. Dog walking records. We all suddenly shared the same little joys of life. Same activities. Same appreciations. We all suddenly were obliged to stop distracting ourselves with elusive stuff.
And therefore, some magic could occur. My mind finally realized that all mountains wouldn’t be climbed. So why shall I don’t start focusing on the ones that proved to be my top priority?
Thank you, 2020. Happiness is simple. Same as daisies.
