It’s cliché but true: 2020 has been a (literal) fire tornado of contention and sickness. It’s hard to feel like we have control over anything. With so much going on and Rosh Hashanah coming up, I thought about the toll current events have taken on us as individuals and what we can do to take charge of our lives. By recognizing what we’ve created for ourselves, we see that our actions have impact and are empowered to do more.
As I do every year, I asked some Jewish friends to reflect on their lives. Here’s what they said.
What’s one good thing you made happen for yourself in 5780?
“I pushed myself to stay in touch with more people than I normally would, especially given these crazy times!”
—Julia
“I have taken seemingly unfortunate events and turned them into something positive. I have trusted in my own path and have faith in where it is leading me.”
—Isaac
“Applying to and starting graduate school in a field I’m incredibly passionate about! I feel like I have finally found my right path after some trial and error, and am so grateful to all of the wonderful people who have helped me along the way.”
—Nicolette
“Advocating for myself at work and pushing for more responsibility.”
—Carly
“One thing I can look back on fondly was getting to spend a lot of time with my parents. The circumstances weren’t really very pleasant, as it was due to me going to stay with my mom during the peak of COVID-19, but looking back I did enjoy getting to see my mom and dad much more than I usually would in a given year.”
—Michael
“I prioritized protecting my mental health during quarantine by doing things like exercising regularly.”
—Julie
“This year has been really difficult, needless to say. I honestly can’t remember what happened before the virus! Everything was put on hold for so long that there wasn’t really the option to even make a good change, that is until I got back to work in person. When I got back to the preschool where I work, I was placed in a classroom with older children. Although it wasn’t my choice, I ended up loving it and learning so much from my new teaching team. Now I’m in that room for the school year and the switch really changed my outlook on teaching.”
—Erin
“Two things come to mind: First, my girlfriend and I decided to move in together, which has been a great experience thus far. I also decided to try pursuing something I’m passionate about and have begun taking classes in game design.”
—Jonny
“I started reading again! I’ve finished 23 books since the start of quarantine.”
—Dana
“I got married!”
—Emily
“Because of all this extra time at home, I’ve been doing a lot of baking and cooking. I’m grateful that I’ve had this opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen, exploring multiple recipes and trying new things. I’ve been making cinnamon buns with cream cheese frosting, and the process of creating the dough, having it rise and making the buns is rewarding and meditative for me.”
—Sophie
“I always wanted to administer a supportive and spiritual community for manifestation in life, and it happened this year, now with over 1,500 members.”
—Patricia
“Finding small joys every day, even when there have been negative external factors that I can’t control.”
—Taylor
What are you letting go of and what are you inviting in?
“I’m going to try and let go of some of my need to people please and invite in greater confidence in my impact.”
—Julia
“Letting go of speaking negatively about people. Inviting myself to be consistent in my morals and values in all parts of my life.”
—Isaac
“Letting go of trying to strive for perfection and inviting in trying to strive for growth. For too long I have allowed myself to become paralyzed with the fear of making mistakes, which has ultimately led to failure. This year I invite mistakes, errors and the learning process that evolves from making them.”
—Nicolette
“Letting go of a bad work/life balance. Inviting in more time for self-care.”
—Carly
“I’m trying to let go of preferring routine to growth, even in super small ways, like having the same easy meal for lunch versus taking the time to make something more nutritious. And on the flip side, I hope that spirit of change and wanting to do more for myself is what I let in.”
—Michael
“Letting go of my inner critic. Inviting in accepting myself for who I am instead of trying so hard to be ‘perfect.’”
—Julie
“I want to let go of following other people’s expectations of me and instead make my own. That’s something I’ve struggled with for a very long time. I always try to do what will make other people happy, which is, of course, a great thing, but it’s also debilitating when you don’t do anything for yourself. The first step, though, is figuring out what I want for myself! So, I would like to try and let in more experiences that will help me find out what I really want to do in life.”
—Erin
“I’m trying to let go of anxieties about the future. There’s a lot of uncertainty both in my own life and in the world right now, so I need to be confident in myself to navigate the uncertainty and make decisions that will benefit me in the long run. I am inviting in new opportunities and experiences.”
—Jonny
“Inviting in a better balance between working from home and self-care. Letting go of Zoom birthday parties. Sorry, everyone!”
—Dana
“Letting go of trying to control everything in my life and enjoy every moment. I am inviting in patience and accepting new challenges.”
—Emily
“This pandemic has put my fear of the unknown into full gear. None of us can predict what will happen next or when this will end, and all we can do is try to find meaning in the present. I’ve been working on embracing this unknown and understanding that it’s all OK! I’m inviting change into my life with an open mind and self-compassion.”
—Sophie
“Letting go of needing immediate results and instead inviting in gracefulness in doing.”
—Patricia
“Letting go of self-judgment. Inviting in compassion for myself and strangers.”
—Taylor
What intention are you setting for yourself in 5781?
“To embrace change and find balance.”
—Julia
“Being consistent and believing this will eventually get me to where I want to be.”
—Isaac
“Learning how to take life day by day and being comfortable with not always being able to plan everything ahead.”
—Nicolette
“To take advantage of all the chances I can to travel once it’s safe again.”
—Carly
“Live more deliberately and with less fear about choosing paths that should make me happy.”
—Michael
“I want to be more intentional about how I use my time and do the things I actually want to be doing, instead of giving into habits or being distracted by shiny things. I am starting with being on my phone less. I’ve been using a real alarm clock and avoiding touching my phone until at least an hour after waking up!”
—Julie
“Figuring out what I want to do for a living. I’ve said I wanted to be an artist since I was little, but early childhood education has really taken a big part of my heart. I hope I can sit down and make a decision for myself and by myself about how I want to spend my time. I don’t want to become an art teacher, so I’m looking for other ways I can combine my love for art and education to help children.”
—Erin
“Focus on making good choices in the present for future happiness.”
—Jonny
“Taking care of my body more—more mindful eating, exercise, meditation!”
—Dana
“To be motivated to continue learning to promote my career.”
—Emily
“I’m about to start graduate school and I want to be better at creating a routine for myself. I’d love to continue waking up early and going to sleep early, and find a rhythm in my day-to-day.”
—Sophie
“To strengthen my relationship with Hashem [God].”
—Patricia
“Practicing mindfulness and enjoying the journey.”
—Taylor
As for me? One good thing I made happen for myself was taking another round of baking classes. I made puff pastry from scratch and can now roll cakes! I’m over being discontent; I want to feel excited and alive. I want to feel connected with myself, be present and learn as much as I can. I’ll let that guide me into the new year.
What did you make happen for yourself this year, and what intention are you setting for yourself in 5781?
