I remember feeling some relief when 2020 ended because 2021 had to be a better year, right? And here we are at the end of another long, exhausting, stressful, and unsettling year, but one that’s also been filled with joy, celebration, connection, and kindness.
So often we exist in an either/or space. Either we’re happy OR sad, grateful OR angry, scared OR confident. In reality, our feelings, experiences, and lives are always in some in-between, and gray area of both/and. We’re joyful AND hurting, grateful AND uncertain, scared AND curious, and these feelings and experiences can change within the week, day, or even hour. Though it may feel uncomfortable and unsettling to manage such a range of emotions, it is undeniably the essence of our humanity.
As we approach 2022, rather than proclaim that it will be a great year OR another challenging one, what if we approach the new year with the understanding that it will be both? It will probably be a great and challenging year. We’ll have moments of joy, grief, satisfaction, pain, and wonder. All of that will be as true for us next year as it was for us this year.
As you prepare for celebrations and holidays, allow yourself time to rest, take a breath, and praise yourself for getting through this year.
The Ladipo Group will be closed Friday, December 24, 2021, through Monday, January 3, 2022, as we also take a deep breath and rest. We’ll be back on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
Wishing you much joy and light as we enter the new year!