Happy New Year! There’s no doubt in my mind that like me, you are ready for the excitement of a new beginning. 2020 wasn’t my “hardest” year but like Bruce Springsteen sang in his song, Dancing in the Dark, it definitely gave me reason to “check my look in the mirror.”
The beginning of 2020 was off to a great start with a calendar filled with travel. I traveled across the country for business, my son headed to Italy for a semester abroad, and my hubby and I cruised the Caribbean Sea.
We returned from the cruise on February 29th, picked up Alex from the airport (2 months early) on March 1st, and less than 3 weeks later the world was in lockdown.
I was repping a fashion jewelry line based out of Chicago at the time and along with so many others, I “pivoted” my business to 100% online. I was resilient and attacked it with plenty of enthusiasm, but as the weeks and months ticked by I soon realized that it no longer felt very fulfilling. As I watched the numbers from the pandemic climb, I asked myself if what I was doing was what I “really” want to be doing, or was I just “Dancing in the Dark?”
It didn’t take long to realize that I had my proverbial ladder up against the wrong wall. After discussing it with my husband, he ultimately asked me what I would do if I could do anything I wanted (regardless of fear or learning a new skill etc) what would it be? Two things immediately came to mind; 1. Host a podcast where I interview the elderly about fundamental wisdom and their opinions about then vs now and 2. Start a lifestyle blog for middle-aged women. His face lit up and he looked at me with the most matter-of-fact look I’ve ever seen from him and simply said, “Why aren’t you doing it?” Wow. Those 5 words said so much…
Soooo, here we are! FashionSHEsta officially launched on November 11th 2020 and like it’s author, it’s definitely a work in progress! I invite you to come back and visit as often as you like and bring your girlfriends!
2020 had many speed bumps and the emotions that go along with change. I mentioned earlier that 2020 wasn’t my “hardest” year but it was without a doubt the year that I learned the most about myself and the gifts that life disguises for us during the muck times.
Here are my top 20 emotions from 2020 and the takeaways I learned from each. Please comment below if you have any to add. I’ve also included a downloadable Goal Setting Guide for you to enjoy 2021 with Style & Happiness, Every day!
Happy New Year!
- Empathy-– What a gift to have the ability to feel empathy for others. Without empathy for others, chances are slim for empathy for oneself…similar to a rock.
- Frustration— Frustration happens when we forget how much control we don’t have.
- Joy— Joy is a glimpse of heaven, when joy is present negative emotions can not co-exist with it.
- Grief— Grief is a way for our hearts to recalibrate after the loss of someone we’ve loved.
- Forgiveness— Forgiveness is like a major traffic jam that suddenly starts flowing freely again.
- Fear– Fear has its place but most of us spend way more time in fear than necessary.
- Worry– Worry is daydreaming about what could go wrong. Why do we do this to ourselves?
- Curious–Curiosity gives us the ability to expand our imagination and learn from others.
- Overwhelm–Overwhelm is like a caution light signalling for us to slow down.
- Brave–The feeling that roars through you when you decide to make something happen and not allow doubt or fear to be a part of it is like rocket fuel. Be brave everyday if possible.
- Creative– Creativity is a way to use our personality and intellect to produce a new product or result. The world desperately needs more creativity.
- Resentful– Resentment is the equivalent of biting yourself in the “arse.”
- Love–Love brings back the color to our days and meaning to our lives.
- Connection–Through connection we are reminded that we are one. It reminds me of this quote: “You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” ~ Rumi
- Grateful–Gratitude is the fastest way to feel better. Look around, there are blessings everywhere. Take them in and feel it <3
- Happy–Happiness, like joy, is an emotion that doesn’t leave much room for the negative ones. I’ll take another helping of happy, please.
- Angry–Anger is really just fear dressed up as a tough guy.
- Excited–Excitement and anxiety are incredibly close. Excitement is the anticipation of something good happening whereas anxiety is the anticipation of something bad happening
- Anxious– An emotion that only exists if we allow it to.
- Optimistic— The beauty of being human is that we have an imagination and can choose optimism. I love the vibe that optimism brings with it!
“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” ~ Rumi
Click the image to download the FashionSHEsta Guide to Goals
