2020 Is Absolutely Your Year

It has been quite some time since I’ve taken such a pause from writing, creating and posting on social media. But June of 2020, well, all of 2020 has been anything but normal. This past few weeks has been a time for many of us to pause, mute and listen. So I took a 10 day break from the grid.

Before I go back to my detox talk, fitness challenges and advocating for a predominantly unprocessed, plant forward diet, I wanted to share my thoughts on where we are today. I want to share what I’ve gained from and am optimistic about in regards to 2020.

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I have been muted. I have been listening. I am still here.

I am present and I have been processing this new world we live in.

“2020 is absolutely your year” – that is a greeting card I bought at the post office in May. I bought it because I found it to be the true definition of irony.

“2020” ha ha …

The universal year of: ((the middle finger)).

The year we all stopped, but you know what, we did not hide.

The year we wore masks, but we didn’t wear them to protect ourselves.

The year we cried, but for pain beyond our own.

The year that finally forced us to change.

2020… Yes. You can absolutely be OUR year.

You are the year that pushed us. That challenged us. The year that stopped us in our tracks and showed us what was happening beyond our own lenses.

You are the year that woke us up. To see and feel others’ pain.

You are the year that made us so uncomfortable, that we had nothing else left to do … but to change.

You divided us nationally. But gave us an opportunity to come together globally.

You forced us to remember that that we are all human. That we are all vulnerable. That we all fear and feel pain.

But not equally.

And that is not right. And that is not fair. And that must end.

Beyond a string of words: you taught me about my own privilege.

2020 you are clever. You are sneaky and you are TOUGH!

You somehow taught us, in just a few short months, that we must improve personal hygiene and break down systemic racism.

You reminded us that we have civil rights. But more importantly, we deserve equal human rights.

While you drove us apart for many months: but now, you’re bringing us back together in full force.

Today: We stand in solidarity.

Now: we look forward to a different future.

While society, our daily lives and the status quo have all been torn apart, we now have the chance to put it back together. Humbled, stronger, smarter, and kinder than ever.

I believe in you 2020.

I have felt the pain. But I am grateful for it, only because I am now ready to move forward.

Differently.

2020: You can absolutely be OUR year.

The year we had the chance to really make change.

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I’m still reflecting, having the personal conversations and doing the work to understand my part in not just the problem, but more importantly, how to be a part of the solution.

I am still listening, leaning in and trying to learn and understand how I fit it to this new movement of positive change. We aren’t even half way through this year. This absolutely can be our year. But it’s not going to be easy and we must do it together.

These are some conversations I’ve been having and some questions I’m working through. Some are tougher than others but none of them are easy to answer and that’s the point. I hope this can open more conversations or inspire journaling on your end and we can move through this, create awareness, learn about ourselves and create positive change:

1. What biases do you have that you might not even know are there? What may be the impact of them?
2. What have your personal interactions with the police looked like?
3. How could those police interactions looked differently if you were of a different race?
4. What are the small, positive actions we can take right now?
5. What are the enormous positive efforts we can contribute to right now?
6. How can we individually make a difference?
7. How can we collectively fight system racism?
8. What has to happen in the remaining part of 2020 for us to look back at this year and think “ahh yes, 2020 that was the year things changed for the better”
9. What questions can we add to this list so that we can continue safe conversations that first, create awareness which then drive positive action?

I welcome all (kind) responses and idealistically look forward to more powerful conversations and enlightened action.