Hi Friends!

I do hope you have had a somewhat of a peaceful Christmas. I know that many of you were unable to be with family members, and for that I salute you for really taking this pandemic seriously. It is better to sacrifice a gathering with family members, keeping them safe (and maybe even ourselves) until things are safe again for us to get together like we used to. We are far from over from the end of it. We see the new hospitalisations climbing each day and it seems very grim right now.

Yet, there is also hope and light at the end of the tunnel, with the release of the Pfizer vaccine, and next to be the Moderna vaccine. Right behind that will be more. And news from Australia today that they have discovered an old medication that actually helps to fight and “kill” the covid-19 virus within 48 hours. So let us keep the faith that soon we will have this horrific pandemic behind us.

How do we get back the hope we may have lost in 2020 for 2021, is the premise of this post…

First of all, we have to keep in mind…things could be worse! At least we have two active vaccines that have been tested, and now ready for the public. Medical front liners of course, should get these first! They have had a rough nine months, and it has not stopped, with the spike again.

Sometimes, it really affects me mentally reading, and watching the news. I am sure it affects you in the same way.

So another way to combat the negativity of the ongoing news on social media is to A. stop reading it for a few days, and B. do not watch the news on TV. Try diverting to reading fun stories, cooking, looking at future vacation plans on social media, and as for TV, try watching a comedy, a new Series on Netflix, etc. I find that if I take a few days off of reading all the Covid-19 “news” I feel mentally better to cope when I am back on reading it. It gives you a mental break. Something we ALL need.

My advice to everyone right now, is to look forward to things slowly changing for the better. It is going to take time, but we have been hit with this since March, and we are still being cautious, patient and hopeful. So we can do this another few months. I know everyone has suffered in many ways. Loss of family members, friends, loss of income, homes, some have no food on the table. Horrific.

In 2021, we have to think about the way we want to live our lives, in our way, on our own terms. It is time to adjust the mindset. We have seen and been through so much in 2020 that surely each and every single one of us has been affected by this pandemic.

Living life in a more simplistic way, dealing with things with humility – it all helps to change the outcome of the “richness” of our lives. Dwelling on the past, or negative situations only causes stress, which does not help us in the long run.

For me, I choose exercise as a way to combat stress, fear and uncertainty. It helps me focus, if only for an hour or so – on something else entirely. At this time, I refuse to answer anything work related. I listen to music and that is it. Maybe even a podcast.

We have become so attuned to the noise around us, we have forgotten to just stop…slow down….meditate….pray….whatever helps. Step back, turn off your phone for an hour, listen to music, write in a journal. As one day, you will reflect back to these hard times and wonder how you got through them. Writing a journal is a wonderful way to record everything.

I say for 2021, dream bigger, and plan! Anything is possible in the future. Anything!

I hope you will have a safe, happy & healthy New Year’s Eve and 2021. Hope is something we all need. Brighter days are coming.

One love,

Neenie xo