This Year Taught Us To Bend, But We Did Not Break

Chances are, you’ve had to bend a lot this year.

You’ve had to curve your plans, adjust your life, twist your outlook, embrace detours, and turn new corners. So, have you given yourself credit for not breaking?

This year has forced us to change the way we live, the way we think, and how we approach the world around us—some more than others.

This year has tested us and shaken us and challenged us and stiffened us. But this year has also changed us and awakened us and moved us and even inspired us.

Yes, we’ve had to mold to new routines, new expectations, and new perspectives. Yes, we’ve had to open our minds to new truths and replace old misconceptions.

Yes, we’ve had to relearn what it means to be flexible and what it means to be kind. And we’ve had to unlearn what’s been pushed under the rug for too long.

Chances are that you’ve had to bend a lot this year, but when will you give yourself credit for not shattering? Because guess what, you’ve still here.

Ask yourself: Have you taken a second to recognize what you’ve already overcome? What you’ve already faced? How magnificently you’ve grown?

Have you taken a moment to pat yourself on the back for all you’ve carried on your shoulders? Have you hugged your heart for all you’ve had to feel?

Have you permitted yourself to hold onto appreciation for all you have become these past few months despite all the plans you’ve had to change?

Sure, this year has been a whirlwind. A rollercoaster. A downright shitshow. And no, it isn’t over. And yes, there may be even more challenges to come.

But guess what? You’ve gotten this far and you’re even stronger now. Wiser now. Different now. And whatever comes next, you can handle it. You can go farther now.

Yes, there’s no question that this year taught us to bend, but it’s about time we acknowledge our resilience and our ability to get through it — our resolve to bend but never break.

And that flexibility will be rewarded. Go ahead and keep going, because that next bend might just lead you to all you’ve ever wanted.