2021: Choosing Joy As A Way of Life

Happy New Year! While 2020 was an incredibly hard year for the world, I am hopeful that 2021 will bring peace to those who seek it and a renewed sense of the value of joy. When the world has suffered so much, the value of joy and light in our lives is tremendous. Society tells us that with the dawn of a new year, we should create resolutions and make the changes we seek change for. However, this year, I have taken a different approach for myself and I hope others consider doing this as well. While I still have all of the goals that I have set out for myself (as I don’t need the passing of year to dictate the sequence of events for my goals… that is really where I think the problem lies for so many. People set out on these ambitious life changes and then fall short of them when the going gets challenging and decide to fall back on their usual habits etc. because January passed by etc.). Nobody’s life is easy. Be gentle to yourself and those around you. In fact, it’s disheartening to think about how much human suffering and death that occurred in 2020. People need serious help more than ever and hopefully that urgency galvanizes many people around the world to give more.

There is an incredible set of challenges the world is facing all at once and it’s often a challenge to maintain optimism in the face of what can look and feel like insurmountable challenge, especially when so many crises are layered on top of one another. However, I have started to believe that without finding hope for the future, holding onto an optimistic outlook, and experiencing a sense of joy for the simple things in life (the rose that you pass by on your daily walk), then you are not honoring the gift that life has offered to us: the beauty of nature and how we are one with it. Simply being alive is a gift. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that. My approach for 2021 includes actively seeking out joy each day, even more consciously than I usually do. I believe in the value that joy brings to our lives and improves the lives of those around us. I choose joy. Wishing you and yours a safe, healthy and peaceful new year.

~Bianca