How could you possibly be grateful for the shit show of a year that was 2020? Well, if you’re alive and breathing, you should be grateful for every second you experience this gift called life.
That really is the only way to look at the unfortunate events of the past year. That really is the only way to look at life. Be grateful every day to be alive and able to enjoy the finite time each one of us has on this Earth.
So, What Was So Great About 2020?
For me, 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic forced me to take a hard look at my health. I didn’t want to be ‘vulnerable’. I didn’t want to die alone in a hospital bed with a ventilator tube shoved down my throat.
2020 forced me to embark on my lifestyle shift that is the basis for this website. It forced me to seek optimum health and optimum fitness. That journey alone has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.
Without the pandemic and subsequent restrictions, I probably would not have had that necessary urgency to change. I would have sluffed off optimizing my health for another time.
And, it wasn’t just physical growth. I absorbed knowledge at a higher pace than any other time in my life. I have read so many books that I’m pretty sure I alone have put Amazon Kindle in the black.
Sure, I shrunk by an amazing 40 pounds at the spry age of 52. But, 2020 was definitely a year of personal growth. I think if everyone took a deeper look at themselves, they just might find they share the same opinion.
The Importance Of Being Grateful
Not up in the top tier of my lifestyle shift habits, gratefulness is still quite important. Each day, I take a few minutes to list all the things I’m grateful for. I use an old diary program on my computer for this simple but powerful process. Once I’m done typing, I read the list out loud with a ‘Thank You’ after each item.
One of the many books I’ve consumed this year was about practical ways to manifest the things you want in this world. Think, ‘The Secret’ explained with simple instructions. One of the methods was to daily list the things you are grateful for. The trick is to throw in a few items that you’re waiting for but haven’t yet received. Write it down as if you already have it in order to trick the subconscious mind and get the ball rolling on actually achieving or obtaining this item.
I have to say that it works. At its worst, it keeps me in a positive frame of mind. At its best, I seem to be pulling in more income with less effort. Often, when a successful person talks, he or she brings up gratefulness as one of the secrets to their success. There would seem to be something to it. It takes very little time and doesn’t cost a dime. Why not give it a go?
Looking Ahead To 2021
January 1 follows December 31 just like any other two days in time. Yet, there is something significant about the start of the new year. It’s simply something that has been ingrained in our brains. It’s a bit of an annual rebirth, a chance to start fresh.
Collectively, though, 8 billion of us were so happy to see 2020 in the rearview mirror that 2021 can’t help but be an ocean of positivity starting January 1. I’m only one of those 8 billion but I call tell you that I already see 2021 as the greatest year of my life!
I’m running again. I started a few nights ago and have done a few short runs. I was concerned about my right Achilles being a nagging problem but all seems good. I plan to slowly but surely amp up the mileage over the next few months.
Why is this a big deal? I had been a runner for much of my life. But then, more than a decade ago, it just stopped. I was having injury problems. I was gaining weight. My stomach always seemed bloated and running compounded the issue and brought on heart palpitations. The palpitations scared me out of running.
In fact, palpitations was something I forgot to list in the previous article about what’s missing since I started my lifestyle shift. That’s not the only thing I missed. I completely forgot that heartburn is also a thing of the past.
I’ve read a little on the ill effects of long distance running. But, I simply love it so much. Especially, running on a forest trail. I’m willing to take the good with the bad in order to once again experience the joy and freedom of running.
Losing 40 pounds and eliminating the foods that caused the stomach bloating simply led to a return to running. I had to hold out for my heel to heal. But, I’m ready to roll now.
I have no set goals for running at the moment, other than to simply continue. I was hoping for a few 10K races to validate my efforts but it looks like racing in Ontario has been trashed for the year already.
2021 won’t all be about running, though! I plan on much more time on the water in the kayak. I’m considering a season’s pass to the local lake for workout paddles and have a list of other waterways I want to explore.
There will be hiking. I won’t be hitting the trails just for running. I would like to put in so seriously challenging day hikes this year that test my endurance.
There will be camping. The motorhome needs exercise after mostly staying in the driveway over the past year. And, it’s going to get it. Also, the tents have been packed in their carry bags for way too long. They’ll be having a breakout year, as well.
There will be writing. Content for this site, along with It’s About Travelling, will be regular. And, there will be a book on the way – possibly focused on this website? There will also be many more videos to the YouTube channel.
Travel. That’s really what it’s all about, right? 2021 will definitely mark a return to travel, adventure and discovery. It remains to be seen what borders will be open or closed. But, where we’re able to travel to, that’s where we’ll be…