The year 2020 is over and many of us would like to forget it as quickly as possible. We all hope for a better 2021 but, with all the hardship, 2020 was an extraordinary year and it delivered us some valuable life lessons. Here is what I’ve learned in the last 12 months:
- Black Swans do exist! From time to time unexpected events just happen. The 2008 economic crisis was such an event and the Covid-19 pandemic is a black swan too. It’s not that nobody could see them coming, on the contrary. Only a few months before the pandemic stroke, in October 2019, I attended a session dedicated to the risk of global pandemics. But I think, deep inside, we just don’t want to acknowledge that they are a real possibility. It’s just too unsettling.
- Humanity is resilient but as individuals, we are very fragile. Fortunately, till now nobody from my inner circle was severely ill but many people that I know got infected, some were hospitalized, and a handful didn’t make it. There is a lot of personal and family drama around. Life is worth being loved and cherished today. We don’t know what tomorrow holds.
- Things that are difficult to imagine can happen in the right context. Only a year back it was hard to imagine that the 2020’s restrictions were possible. I couldn’t conceive that I would willingly accept the limitation of so many personal liberties just to stay healthy. But I did.
- Global collaboration pays off! The race for a Covid-19 vaccine was a global effort at a scale never seen before. And the effort paid off. In one short year, we got 3 vaccines against Covid-19. They still have to prove effective in limiting and stopping the pandemic but what we achieved as a global community is amazing. I think many of the world’s problems could be solved with similar effort and collaboration.
- Family matters! When hardship comes, the family is the one we can truly rely on. Beyond the challenges, 2020 brought the huge opportunity of spending more time with loved ones. For some of us, it offered the chance to experience unique moments that otherwise, we would have missed out.
As every crisis brings opportunity, most opportunities (blessings) come with challenges. This is the sixth and most personal lesson. For me, 2020 is a key life landmark. I became a father! And alongside the great joy and fulfillment came a lot of work and commitment. It’s worth the effort, but it’s surely not easy.
There is always this duality in things. With the good and the bad 2020 entered history but should not be forgotten. Especially not the precious lessons that we learned.
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Happy new year, 2021!
