Lighten up 2021

Please, could we just lighten up, 2021? I feel as though we’re putting a lot of pressure on this new year. Headlines scream, “goodbye and good riddance, 2020.” Even more than usual at the beginning of the year, social media feeds highlight a “new year, new you, new life” philosophy.

And, don’t get me wrong, I am hopeful.

I know the year was hard and uncertain, even devastating for many. I’ve personally reflected on 2020 with Reflecting on 2020: A Year of Change and A blessing for the ending of a year. And we all want life to be easier, more certain, and generally better in 2021.

But, have you also found the weight of expectation rests heavy? Perhaps we’re being a tad unrealistic.

Do we really expect it to lighten up TODAY?

“New year, new you.” We want it to be true, this new year’s rally cry.

I slept in this morning, somehow anxious for the beginning. And when I awoke, I felt restless, trying to ground myself in writing, connecting, being still.

I want it to be so, this new me, yet I know deep inside, I’m not different from five days ago, when the year was ending.

We’re putting a lot of pressure on 2021

Social media feeds are filled with reflection, with words, visions, inspiration. The 2021 rally cry, not unlike other year’s, is “let’s make it different, better, happier.”

I know I put the pressure on myself. Yes, I truly want today to be different. And yet, this Monday doesn’t feel so different from last Monday.

After the fireworks, we’re back to reality

And honestly, the reality is that 2021 so far is much the same as 2020. We’ve restarted our routines. Many of us are back to work and our children are back in school. Some Covid mandates have been relaxed while others remain in place.

The news media watch the statistics, just as they did last week. Will we see a post-holiday spike? Likely.

But we are more optimistic. The vaccines trickle out, moving from the critical health workers to higher risk communities.

The reality is that change comes slow and steady

Just as it always does, change takes time. As I look outside my basement-level window, white snow covers the lawn, the trees and even the streets outside my basement-level window.

In my mind, I hear Bette Midler singing “The Rose.” The lyrics rise in my head without invitation, a musical tribute to the depths of snow on a bitter cold morning.

"Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love
In the spring becomes the rose."
     -- Lyrics by Amanda McBroom

And unbidden, I find the rest I was seeking without knowing it. The light and hope lie waiting, I realize.

So lighten up your expectations for 2021

Change happens slowly, over time. Allow order and structure to unfold. Let life be lighter, simpler, easier. Think less, be more.

Let your change begin with making tiny little steps. As I look back to the beginning of 2020, I had no idea what the year would bring. But I stepped forward, holding tight to God’s promises and knowing he would be with me. And of course, he was, every step.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or pressured — just stop. Breathe in God’s love and acceptance, and breathe out grace for yourselves and everyone else on this journey. And then, take one tiny step.

Perhaps you’ll be surprised, as I am, how good it feels to lighten up. Over the next few weeks, I’ll share more about a new project to help us carry this concept forward into 2021!

Step lightly into 2021

Remember this, 
You're meant to travel lightly,
Rest your body and soul,
And live your purpose
In small daily and tiny steps.