Dropping 2020's weights

This time of year folks are especially keen to shed unwanted pounds they packed on during holiday revelling. And while the same can be said for the advent of 2021, this year presents a twist. 

First off, there is the dreaded "Covid-19," the nickname for the weight so many have gained during 2020's ongoing malaise. For many the mental weights taken on throughout the year have been even more difficult to bear. There's debt—a weight that can feel impossible to get out from under. Many feel the pain of crushed dreams and crumbling hopes as beloved businesses are forced to shutter. 

There's the weight that sits on our hearts when we're unable to visit with friends and family in person, when we can't embrace them, can't share a meal with them. Worse yet, there is the unbearable burden of grief for loved ones lost.

So how can we lighten the load at a time there is no reprieve in sight and no timeline as to when or how the load may lessen?

A common concept in wellness practices is to get rid of anything that "doesn't serve you." Like most sage advice, it's been repeated into clichedom, but the sentiment remains more valid than trite. If 2020 taught us anything it's that there are certain things we thought we couldn't do without that now don't matter to us. 

I don't mean little luxuries like going out for dinner, visiting a movie theater, or getting a mani-pedi. I'm talking about modes of thinking—specifically the ones that weigh us down and anchor us to a spot from which we yearn to break free. 

Do you harbor displeasure (or worse, shame) over the way part of your body looks. Have you failed to reach your goals in business? Are you frustrated or angry about a task a loved one hasn't gotten around to? Do you ever kick yourself for taking the bait and arguing with "idiots" on social media? Were you unable to buy the calibre of holiday gifts you wanted due to lack of funds? These are perfect candidates for weights to shed.

Shedding weight is not an activity that needs to be accomplished in a day or according to a schedule. You need only start with one weight. No matter how large or small the unwanted cargo, you'll feel lighter, and the gravity pulling down your smile will lose some of its power. Eventually, you'll feel lighter and freer than you ever imagined, regardless of what the world might do to try to drag you down.

So what are some of the weights that you can drop today? Identifying them is the first step in ousting them. 

Looking forward to hearing how you are lightening your load this year.

Joy