The Simplest Ways To Make The Best Of 2020 Lessons

 Saying that 2020 has been a Hell of a year is an understatement.

I can say that I have taken a lot of what has happened to heart. My plan is to learn from it and evolve. I will be turning 56 in 2021 and this year has reminded me that I still don't know it all. There is so much about myself and the world around me that could be improved and this year just showed me a glimpse of what could be.

Now, I'm not going to get all preachy on you and tell YOU how to live your life this coming year. All I will say is we each need to evaluate our personal choices from the lessons we have learned this past year. This post is my revelation into myself and my life.

1) I need to enjoy my everyday life more...

Sometimes I forget to stop and smell the roses per se. I was getting so caught up in the “I need to vamp up my business more to make more money” that I started losing sight of the simple things. I took time this year to get out of my office/craft room and take my beads outside and watch the world go by. I still got plenty of creating done while enjoying the beauty of the world Creator blessed me with. Plus, as a bonus, there was a feeling of accomplishment that I had long forgotten about.

Sitting outside on my deck took me back to one of the times we were homeless. We were at a gorgeous free campsite in Mississippi. I was sitting at the picnic table and was working on dream catchers. There was so much happiness going into those dream catchers during a time when most would have been feeling defeated. My creativity was soaring like a hawk in flight and I was at peace with myself, my surroundings, and life in general. I was free from the constraints of “real life”.

Now that we are living what so many consider a 'normal' life, I had forgotten about that feeling of freedom. But being forced to stay at home, reminded me that my Free Spirit can soar anywhere – I was what was stopping me. That freedom I felt in the camp in Mississippi was never about the place but my inner self allowing my spirit to feel it.

I now know how to call on that feeling again and will do so every day.

2) It's time to get back to the basics of life and living

This spring I will plant a garden. I will get out into nature more. I will cyber-detox more.

With so many suffering food shortages, I want to learn more about gardening and preserving the food from that. Even if the food is only for the season, there is a certain kind of power and self-respect in being able to perfect these types of skills. Maybe get back to sewing, crocheting, and knitting basic items. We have allowed our lives to become so dependent on commercial products, that we have forgotten how to fend for ourselves.

I most definitely don't want to turn into a couch -potato but this year we weren't left with much of a choice as public options of entertainment were closed to so many of us. And those that were available turned into danger zones for so many. I don't know how many Facebook posts I saw about people coming down with the virus after attending some of these events. But instead, I want to find a quiet spot to swim and enjoy just being alive close to nature. And even if we are in the clear come next summer, I don't want to forget that lesson.

And I will most definitely be staying off of my computer and phone more. It seemed like the more time we had to be on social media, it stopped being social. Instead, it turned into a cyber war zone of hate and malice in a time when we needed unity and community strength.

3) Perfection isn't always perfect.

I used to focus so much on trying to do everything absolutely PERFECT, that I ended up being disappointed each and every time. I have to let that go so I can move forward instead of being stuck in a time loop.

We, as humans, are far from perfection. Yet we try in every aspect of our lives so hard to be that we forget to laugh at our imperfections or, worse yet, forget to enjoy living.

I wanted my home to be spotless and pristine PLUS work full-time on my business. I didn't see that my home was already perfect. There is love. It is warm. And we have food in our bellies. I even forgot how easily it all could be lost until this year while watching the news and seeing so many struggling. I will appreciate what I have and learn to live with a few dust bunnies.

My products are handmade with a little piece of myself in each and every one. If my customers wanted a 'perfect' item, they would have chosen something mass-produced in a factory somewhere. The normal handmade customer is looking for something unique and literally made 100% individually one piece at a time. I'm not saying that I'm going to lower my standards but I am going to allow myself to be human and stop sweating the small stuff.

I am going to allow myself to be perfectly imperfect.

4) Acts of kindness doesn't cost a thing

I used to think that I was no help to anyone because our own finances couldn't reach out to help others. I was trying to look at a huge picture instead of a much smaller one. I have been so used to people helping us out when we were down with cash-flow, that I never thought that just being available for a ride to the store was a big help to anyone. But I know that it could be the biggest thing just by being able to do the smallest thing for someone.

Whether it's just a ride, cooking a meal, or hooking someone up to a place where they can get help; the simplest act, if done with no expectations of return or acclamation, is the richest.

5) Life is short and can end all too quickly, so enjoy each day.

At this writing, almost 300K have lost their lives just to the virus. That's not even counting other illnesses, accidents, or random violence. At a simple snap of the fingers, it could all end.

So I am going to live my life with love, compassion, and just for that day. I will remember to tell my loved ones that they are special every single day. I won't worry about tomorrow until they arrive. I will always have a plan but will no longer get bent out of shape if something tweaks it. Instead, I will just ride it out.

My biggest goal for this coming year though is to be ready for anything. I need to start making plans so if the unimaginable happens, my loved ones won't be overly stressed.

6) Money is nice but it's not the end-all, be-all

I was starting to hate my business. In all honesty, I was seriously thinking about giving up because my sales were literally DEAD. I had allowed the loss of income to quiet my creative voice.

Now the weirdest part of all this is once I let go and just started creating for the joy of it again, then the cha-chings started slowly coming back. Guess my bad vibes kinda slid through the internet.

This whole money mind game is where the previous 5 lessons come into a full-blown perspective. Money's nice but if you don't value the other 5, it is worthless.

So what was your take on this past year?

What are your plans to change how you live in 2021? Do you even have any plans of change?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Please share your thoughts in the comments. What has 2020 meant to you and what does your ideal plan for 2021 look like?

Until next time,

LindaSue