Optimism for the New Year

2021 has been a difficult year. I don’t think any of us imagined our world would continue to be impacted by this global pandemic, which has now altered our lives in unprecedented ways for almost two years.

It’s hard for some people to be optimistic about the future, in light of our current reality. We continue to face uncertainty, which manifests itself in many domains in our lives. As I write this, there is renewed talk of schools reverting back to virtual classrooms, and news is dominated with stories of hospitals filling up with patients who face life-threatening illnesses.

To be sure, we are – in many ways – still in the midst of the storm. The thing to remember is this: no storm lasts forever. The metaphorical sun will rise again and, in time, we will recall this time as but a distant memory.

In the meantime, we are faced with a choice and an opportunity. We are about to turn the page not only on the calendar month, but also the year. 2021 is coming to a close, and I pray that 2022 will be a better year for everyone.

Viktor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, wrote that while we cannot always choose our circumstances, we always have a choice about how to respond to those circumstances.

I don’t know what you’ve been through in 2021. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one or know someone who has. Maybe you or a friend or family member were let go from your job. Or maybe you’re just worn out – fatigued mentally and/or physically from the current state of your life, or of the world.

Whatever you have faced – and even if you’ve been spared the trying circumstances encountered by so many – I encourage you to press on. The world needs optimists, to remind us that life will get better. The world needs encouragers, to let us know that the current challenges in our world will pass. The world needs kindness, and smiles, and helping hands, to renew faith in mankind.

Be all of that, and more. Make a difference in the world. Remind yourself that, while you can’t always control your circumstances, you can control your reaction to your circumstances. And make the decision to be your best – in every area of life – regardless of the weather, or the latest variant, or what’s going on in the world politically or economically.

I’m not waiting for someone to tell me it’s okay to start living a great life again. Instead, I will strive to be my best, to add value to people, and to (hopefully) make a difference in the world. I hope you’ll do the same.

Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2022! I pray that you look back on it next December as your best year ever!