Another year has passed. A very special year. For me and many other people around the globe it has pushed us into pausing. Many of us rarely paus and reflect. It might happen when we celebrate a big birthday like forty or fifty. We might then get some insights and start some new rituals that turn into sustainable habits, but many times these habits fade with time. Humankind, with the exception of our heroic doctors and nurses, has never in my lifetime had the possibility to have such a long birthday celebration with the opportunity to pause and install new habits.
Some people I talk to just wanted to get 2020 over with, done, not ever again a year like 2020. When life is turned upside down, we do react to it because it takes the safety net of our normal routines and in many cases also incomes away. Our human biology prefers consistency to keep us safe and is likely to be resistant to change. The Corona pandemic is challenging AND it opens up for possibilities. Huge possibilities for each and every one of us to change our habits just a little bit. Beyond the drama there are opportunities. What wants to happen? What wants to be born?
The future is different from what you imagined growing up. It might be a lot tougher, but the magic is there if you look for it. You choose how to relate to the future: is it going to be just another struggle or magical? It depends on how you see the world and what you dare dream into being. The magic is there every single day.
Do you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? I love the expression Carol Dweck has adding “not yet” to any sentence limiting herself from be capable of something. Fixed mindset statements like “I am not the type who becomes a vegetarian”, open up for exploration if you add “not yet”. You are capable of a lot more than you imagine, but in order to grow you need to let go of old identities. This is a tricky one. Transformation hurts but the reward I have experienced myself is inner freedom.
“We are glorious, talented, fabulous. Who are you not to be?” as Marianne Williamson wrote in the poem Our Deepest Fear. As role models walking our beliefs and values, we influence the world for the better. Michael Dahlen’s research at Stockholm School of Economics shows that happiness, habits and lifestyles are socially contagious. We are so interconnected. If one person’s level of happiness is elevated the likelihood that a close friend’s level of happiness is increased is 63% and then it catches on. Having meaning in our lives has become far more important. Make one meaningful change. Tell others and influence your community.
Who are you going to be in 2021? Are you aware of a personal growth goal that you are working on? Does your team know about it? What difference would it make for people in your professional and private life if you actually made those changes? Start small. Think big. My growth edge is stillness in motion. It is to practice a deeper presence and appreciation for the moment and myself, it is spiritual grounding and connection to the collective from the inside, thus enabling a movement forward that benefits both me, other individuals and the collective.
Wishing you all a magical journey through 2021!
