Onward and Upward

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onward and upwardI’m an optimist to a fault.

Even through the most challenging days of my life, I can find positivity. I can always see the bright side. I can always see an end to the struggle. My family entered 2020, a new decade, with a bright outlook and excitement for what the year would bring. As the year took a turn, when everything as we knew it before completely changed, I still kept an open mind and a positive attitude. 

It did not take me too long to realize that maybe being overly optimistic was toxic; that I was giving myself, and more importantly, my children, a false sense of hope.

Truly, if 2020 has taught me anything, it is that we, collectively, need to face the tough stuff, tackle it head-on, to have a better future for ourselves and our children. 

But, that is not what this post is about. It is about moving onward and upward into 2021. 2021 is actually a pretty big year for my family. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law will be celebrating their marriage with a wedding reception, my sister is getting married, and (shh, don’t tell my kids) but we have a big trip to Disney World booked for August.

These events will all be so amazing and magical, and they are so far off at this point, that I will not allow myself to consider the need to reschedule. 

Two family weddings and a much planned and saved trip to Disney World is certainly not all I am looking forward to in 2021. There are smaller, simpler, day to day lessons from 2020 that need to carry over into 2021.

I am going to practice self-care: read more books and take more walks. 

I will keep time for work separate from time for family.

I am not going to be so hard on myself. 

I am going to say YES to a lot of things, but also say NO to a lot of other things!

Like everyone else, I have no idea how the rest of 2020 will play out, nor, despite my big plans, do I have any idea what is in store for 2021.

Though I can no longer allow myself a false sense of positivity, I can accept what I am presented with each day going forward and make the best of it. 

What are you looking forward to in 2021?

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