Reset Refresh Renew

Many generations surviving 2020 can collectively agree on one thing; 2020 was an unprecedented year. Many seniors have proclaimed that they have never seen or had to undergo what we all went through, currently still going through. The past year 2020 which I've nicknamed doubletrouble has gone above and beyond living up to its name. I can recall complaining to a friend in February because I didn't get what I wanted for valentines. He then simply replied “everything will be better next month now that the holidays are over.” That statement provided hope for the following few weeks until what I believe no one could've predicted and what I still consider the unthinkable happened. In the beginningu I recall everyone jokingly in disbelief; and the few people I'd question on how long it would last would respond a month. One friend was certain on the conspiracy that covid is a part of some political ploy that the government releases every presidential electoral year. He even went as far as stating if I researched any other mass traumatizing event I would find that it was done during a presidential electoral year. If he was bold enough to state this I was sold on it without the research it was just totally convincing to me at that point. Fast forward three weeks; the same people jokingly saying it will blow ever in three weeks were now irrate on how long they've been in the house and felt as though their constitutional rights were being violated. All of a sudden these same people were no longer expressing the joke and humor at all. The friend that proclaimed it was a political ploy..was now posting videos of his warehouse stocked full of toilet paper and survival necessities for the wellbeing of his family. Along with guns and rifles to protect his family from the uncertainty that everyone was uncertain about but knew it was an unknown enemy that we should protect ourselves from that he advised everyone to do the same because now he was singing a different tunes that covid is real and serious. I can remember going shopping for toilet paper and the aisles were empty I honestly felt like I was in a dream it was so surreal and just as equally unreal. I remember seeing a couple on that aisle and saying to them “it feels like a nightmare but that would mean we're all having the same bad dream” I wasn't sure if I was stating or questioning at the time perhaps both. I felt lost as though everything was out of my control. I made so many plans for double trouble that never happened and slowly but surely a new way of life and interpersonal interactions soon became normal. I said often “after this I don't believe I will be the same person” no matt who I stated this to; the response was always “nobody will”. In May it felt like I prayed everyday for it to be over so that I wouldn't have to celebrate my birthday in quarantined in June. My birthday was quarantined for sure as I finally began to embrace the new norms and the reality of what I thought I was in control of was merely a fragment of my imagination. A hard pill to swallow let's just say a horse pill. The truth for me, wasn't new routines because I felt as though I was quarantined before quarantining by choice. By deciding that many people did not deserve my energy and did not appreciate it and more times than not would take advantage of me; not necessarily on purpose however simply because that's who they are and do not know how to be anything different. Knowing these facts suddenly gave me a change of heart I love to distance myself by choice but if someone tells me I can't to something then suddenly I want to so that exact thing. Quarantine changed all the dynamics of my life and my choices. Suddenly I wanted to go out and do everything prior to covid was not on my radar. If I knew I most likely would've went out everyday before quarantine when I was home by choice; during quarantine I felt like a free prisoner. Advised to stay but the door is unlocked. This reflection on doubletrouble and it's global impact has made me thankful and ready to live my best life despite of any restrictions or newly incorporated normalities. I believe as unique individual humans were being everything starts within us and this is the root that fuels our life. As much as 2020 drained and deprived us of it does not own us. It's our individual right to decided how we want to react and our responsibility on how we choose to respond going forward. The first step is to reset which is the easy part. Buddha said “ Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most” Every day we awake the reset button is hit for us there is nothing we have to do it is our daily gift. However many people carry baggage that they've held on too for months some even year's unaware of the damage it's actually causing. The vital element in the restart is to let go. Let go of the negativity, the hurt, the pain, anything that prevents you from fully resetting your day. You know what is holding you back simply because it happened in the past. If you are keeping baggage from the past let it go. The past is over it can only bother you if you allow it. Become aware of things held on to from your last acknowledge it, make the decision to let it go and make a vow to yourself to make a complete reset daily. Take it day by day and a daily reset can become natural like second nature. Refresh your life by doing the things that make you feel good and reinvigorated. How you feel plays a huge part on how you see the world whether in a positive or negative light. Your perspective is influenced by what you feel and your thought process. The better you feel the better your perception. Everything starts with you; you decide how to react and even feel. Happiness is an inside job, if you're unhappy its because you've made the choice to allow your expectation of someones actions or lack of to impact you negatively. It's often times easier said than done and a huge part of self awareness to know what you're feeling and how you decide to react to others. Once you become aware that you are in charge of your feelings no matter what life throws at you it is refreshing. Refresh your decisions and make the choice to be happy regardless of what happens is a breath of fresh air and a means to a refreshed reset daily. Renew is to resume after an interruption. It's safe to say our life has been interrupted and indeed in need of a renew; again which starts and has everything to do with you. You can have the past weigh you down and feel as though you can't go on. Or you can take control of your life and decide that since the universe does the easy part for you and resets your life daily you can do the foot work of renewal. No matter what you feel was taken from you in the last year you are still here. If you ask me you are more than enough reason to resume your life and renew it. Taking a daily approach to renew is simple just analyze the things that have a negative hold on you decide to let them go ask yourself why does it have this impact and make a list of different perspectives. Once aware of the possibilities you are now aware of the capability of precieving and accepting these as a reality. Though may not be your current reality doesn't mean that it will never occur. Renew your mind and thoughts daily make the choice to see things that happen in a positive light no matter the outcome. Believe in a renewed sense of we'll being and happiness. Taking day by day measures to reset, refresh and renew your life is a individual unique choice that is our right; as the individual human we’re being and know everything starts within us first and our perception on life is our choice. Promise yourself to Reset, Refresh, Renew within you first, before making any decisions and life will be rewarding.