There's something poetic about allowing December to be as bad as it can be. Eating too much, drinking too much, not exercising, not meditating, doomscrolling, continuing to argue with family members over the election in the USA. I think I could be pretty good at all of that.
All of that involves choices, and sometimes the only choice we have is how we handle a choice that was made for us.
Like many people, I've called 2020 a dumpster fire and a shitshow. Realistically, this year has been the most uniquely bad in recent history for the most people due to the pandemic, and on top of that it has been fairly harrowing for people in the USA on both sides of election. Toss in climate change, job losses, schools closing, and a disruption on a massive scale of the way we socialize, and, yeah, 2020 hasn't been kind to many.
Practice Mudita
To go micro for a moment, in my world, two women I dearly love just gave birth to healthy baby boys! And a friend I met on Facebook (it's good for something!) started an orphanage and a dog rescue in Nepal and I'm excited to continue to be part of her work. I'm full of joy for all three friends!
2020 hasn't been all bad. Whose joy are you joyful for? Mudita is a Pali word for just that--being happy for the happiness of others. It doesn't have to have anything to do with you and no one has to know about it--you're just feeling happy because they're happy. Try it!
One Thing We All Excel At
We all are superstars at one thing each day: being who we were yesterday. Each day, consciously or not, we tell the world who we are through our actions. And each day, with every decision we make, we are choosing to be a certain type of person. We are ultimately expressing our values through our actions.
Today, you are the sum total of the decisions you've made and the actions you've taken up until today. Therefore, if you take stock of who you are telling the world you are today (through your actions--nobody cares more about your words than your actions), and you aren't pleased with what/whom you have found, you can do something about that, starting today.
December's Story Hasn't Been Written Yet
Who do you want to be in December? How do you want to end this year? Who do you want to be going into 2021? You might need all of the inner resources you can muster, #justsaying.
I am by no means saying you need to live your best life, lose your pandemic weight, learn a few languages, and write a book. I'm simply asking what kind of person you want to be. You're going to be a certain kind of person at the end of December no matter what. The question is: Are you going to intentionally craft that person? Do you want to live your life . . . on purpose?
What are your priorities? What are your intentions? Who do you want to be?