What to Keep?

What to Keep? (by Bob Spensley)

With a such a crazy year just about behind us, some reflection is natural - and also necessary.

Many might be thinking that 2020 is the year they would like to erase from their memories. Such was the discomfort, pain, uncertainty and in some hearts, deep loneliness and fear. These emotions are understandable and we can all relate - if not us directly, who doesn’t have friends and family who this year have lived through full-scale anguish, economic collapse and irreparable loss? Some are still coping in these situations as best they can, and others aren’t with us anymore. 2020 was horrible in several ways, full acknowledgement. And, we can also choose to lean into the priceless things we've learned in part because of the unique circumstances we faced. Without the immediate health concerns, physical distancing, political division, racial injustice and many ramifications of an overall increase in global stress - we may have missed some of the invaluable lessons along the way.

Healing isn’t curing, and it also isn’t forgetting. Healing is coming to terms with what is, while still hoping for more.

Towards the goal of healing for all of us after 2020, here is Kim’s Top Ten List of things we can choose to keep from this past turbulent year:

1. Growing appreciation for the value of mental health, and an increased understanding of the impact of trauma on behaviour

2. Increased efficiency and efficacy in working online

3. Gratitude to the people who truly keep us sane, including and beyond those physically beside us

4. Recognition that resilience stems from how we care for ourselves (exercise, sleep, nutrition, nature, healthy relationships...)

5. Spirit of adaptability that allows us to cope and even thrive amidst change

6. Expanding sensation of interdependence, both locally and globally: inclusion, respect, acceptance

7. A deeper questioning in schools everywhere about how people learn best*

8. Discernment (in relationships) of who gives energy and who takes it away

9. Awareness (in politics and social justice) that it’s our shared responsibility to enter into difficult conversations with vulnerability and compassion

10. Growing self-compassion, which includes not taking ourselves too seriously (#ConsciousChipEatingIsOkay)

All of these things are a work in progress for us personally. From reflecting on a year of having been stretched and tested, these ten 2020-inspired concepts are the things we’re aiming to keep**.
Perhaps consider allowing your hard parts of 2020 to be the fertilizer that nurtures the seeds of a better world.

* With thanks to the Kamloops/Thompson School District in British Columbia that inspired this blog

** With respect to Dr. Rick Hanson who defined the term “keepers” as a way of harnessing the benefits of neuroplasticity for positivity