Dear Self,

Words cannot capture all of the emotions and feelings that I've experienced this year — and that’s okay. It's okay not to have a full grasp of what’s transpired these last 12 months. It's okay to have more questions than answers. Sometimes wisdom and enlightenment lie in silence, stillness and mystery. 

While you might not see and feel it right now, you have not just grown this year. You have transformed. You’ve been challenged to not only look at your goals and achievements differently but to also view yourself through another lens. Truthful introspection can feel uncomfortable at times. Accepting the person in the mirror each day can feel messy, scary and confusing. And that’s okay. The circumstances and challenges at home, work, within our communities and across the world have provided unique opportunities to lean into the uncertainty, the untouched and our own un-discovered selves.

You have had to reconcile with continued social unrest and injustices. You have had to make sense of how you fit in this ever-changing landscape of career paths, connectivity and deep work in a distracted world. You have been forced to pivot on the go and trust more of your intuition and creative innovation. Self-leadership and self-discipline became more critical than ever while you placed increasing emphasis on courage and truth, as opposed to fear and lies. There has not been a playbook for this year, but the human spirit's power has still found a way and will continue to do so. You continue to rise. We continue to rise.

Life is about moments — split moments. What we do with them creates our canvas. This year has taught us how short and precious it all can be. Life and the next breath can be here one day and gone the next night. We have had to confront our mortality in 2020. As our society mourned icons whom we often put on pedestals, we also realized they were human. They, too, were attempting to navigate this self-discovery journey. As we had to say final goodbyes to the heroes in our own families, in some cases even through technology, we were moved deeply to reflect on our family, our friends and the true meaning of our own lives.

Although we will continue to navigate uncharted waters in 2021 and onward, there will still be beauty, calm, discovery and wisdom immersed within the tide. Your life, voice and story have a purpose. It is okay not to have discovered it today. But don't give up, don't ever stop exploring.

Remember, life doesn't always happen to us. Sometimes it happens for us. This year has shaken us to the depths of who we are. While we won't have all the "answers" and "whys" tomorrow on Jan. 1, the marathon continues to grow, to heal, to let go, to learn, to unlearn, to forgive, to discover, to be kind, to love, to lead, to live and to rise.

In life, when we walk into tunnels of darkness, we’re afforded a unique opportunity to re-emerge into the light with grace and empathy — having evolved and transformed into something far more compassionate and authentic. 

I am proud of you for getting through this moment in time.

Love,

Self