If you can’t hear Ross Gellar’s voice in your head when you read the word “PIVOT” then we probably shouldn’t be friends. Just kidding! But on a side note, I do love Friends.
Pivot is my chosen word for the year 2020. If you haven’t seen the episode of Friends where Ross screams PIVOT, you may not understand this as well as someone who has. Picture a group of people trying to get a very large couch up a very narrow stairway with very sharp turns. Not fun. Friends fan or not, pivot truly seems appropriate for 2020.
Within my job, it feels like every single day is a new day. We develop a protocol, start a direction, 2 days later change the protocol and off in another direction we go. We are all just doing the very best we can to adapt and adjust during this time. Are we working in the office? Are we working from home? Can we go out and eat? Is it safe to go to the grocery store? Are masks effective? Are they ineffective?
It really feels like, as a whole, we don’t know how to live our lives right now. For those of us who like to follow rules, its stressful not knowing what the rules really are because they are changing all the time. Friends, I feel your frustration and I don’t even have any children, I cannot imagine the whole school at home thing on top of everything else right now.
All I know for sure is that 2020 has brought me some good lessons. It has made me more flexible because this year, the plans change over and over. It’s made me more grateful for the life that I live. It’s made me appreciate my job because there was a time when I really wasn’t sure if I would have one. It’s made me thankful for the morning routine that I have that includes getting ready and leaving the house, that I once thought was a pain. It has brought to mind the things in my life that matter the most, because when everything seems in jeopardy it tends to clear our vision. It’s made me appreciate my health and wellness, I am so thankful for my ability to exercise. Above all else it has made me thankful for my loved ones. I am so thankful for the time that I have with them.
The other word 2020 brings to mind is privilege. I have never been more aware of my privilege than I have been this year. It is a privilege to live a life where I can come and go as I please. Traveling is a privilege, family gatherings are a privilege. Nights out with friends. Hugs. Full stadiums. Full arenas. Going to the movies. Eating inside a restaurant. Casually shopping in a store. Getting ready and going to the office. Having a set plan 6 months in advance. Job security. Collecting a paycheck. Comfort. Breathing easily. Being alive.
Today friends, can I encourage you to pivot when needed, extend a little extra grace to yourself and others, be thankful for the good things in your life and just keep living the very best you can. We will get through this time. One day at a time sweet friends.
