Making peace with 2020
/Hello my loves,
Mother of mercy, that was a year. Fear, loss, confinement, grief, conflict, desperation, desolation, division. We’ve had the whole buffet, plus the free dessert that nobody had any room for. Collectively and individually, we’ve been doing huge work, and it has not been easy. If you’re exhausted, you’re not alone – everyone I know is limping to the end. We all need a rest, and it’s my fervent hope that in December and January, we’ll get it.
As the year draws to a close, it might be tempting to pack away our experiences in a chained and locked box, pasted all over with ‘Hazardous Contents’, never to be seen again. But what if we took a different view? Yes, there’s been a lot. Yes, at many points, it has truly sucked. We have all suffered this year, but you know what that means, don’t you my darling? It means we’ve all grown. And once you’ve got through the December dance, may I suggest allocating some quiet time for reflection, not on what 2020 took from you, but in fact, what it has gifted you. Grab a pen a paper, and bullet-point the top five 2020 mountains you had to climb. First, let rip with everything you feel about them, scribbling madly until you get it allll out. Then take a deep breath, and flip over the coin. In all the struggle, all the shit, all the triggering bags-full-of-fuck you’ve been dealt, what is the gift? What have you learned from this most extreme of rides? What do you have in your emotional kit-bag now that wasn’t there, or wasn’t as developed, this time last year? Deep inner strength, resilience, trust in your path, surrender to what is, releasing control, patience, compassion, kindness, self-belief, self-worth, celebrating who you really are, trusting what you feel is right, and saying a loving no to what doesn’t serve you: all of these have featured heavily on emotional dance cards this year. Maybe some of these are true for you, or maybe your journey has been something else entirely. Whatever your experience has been, take some time for a look-back - you might be surprised at what you find.
If you’re reading this with a hearty eye-roll, sure that you won’t be able to find a shred of good that’s come out of your 2020 poker hand, I encourage you to watch this. It’s an interview with Auschwitz survivor Dr Edith Eger, where she speaks about surviving unimaginable personal horror by taking an incredibly beautiful approach on what she experienced. At the very least, watch to the 6-minute mark, for one of the most inspiring anecdotes I’ve ever heard. If you think you can’t do the old gratitude-switcheroo on 2020, I’m almost certain that Dr Edith will help you with that. At the very least, you’ll get to see a 90-year-old lady doing high-kicks, which in itself is worth the watch.
There is one more thing I would love you to do over the coming weeks, and that is have a rest! We are all tired. We are all depleted. We are all done. Honour the herculean emotional effort you've made this year by naking time to rest, replenish, and nourish yourself in whatever way speaks to you.
So my darlings, we are nearly there. Who knows what 2021 will bring – if there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that anything can happen. Thankfully, if there’s a second thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that no matter what happens, we will be ok. As individuals, friends, families, communities, countries, and as a world, we are growing and pushing and striving to get to where we need to be. It might not be easy, but I truly believe that it will be worth it.
And so we come to the end of my last note for the year. I’m taking my own advice and taking the next few weeks off to rest, reflect and have some goddamn fun. I’ll be back in your inbox in mid-January, with lots of tales to report. But just before I go, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a part of Rachel world. It brings me so much joy to write these notes every week, and the fact that you give your time to read them is something that fills my heart to overflowing. One of life’s greatest gifts is to be able to do what you love, and I’m so grateful to all of you for helping me to do that every single week. So, I’m sending you all of my love for a beautiful end to the year, and I’m very much looking forward to reconnecting in 2021 (my toes are already wriggling in excitement). Until next year my loves 💛.
Love, Rachel
PS It’s summer solstice on Monday! The longest day of the year, and a hugely powerful one that’s been celebrated by ancient cultures across the world since time immemorial. Sure, it may have lost some traction over the last 2000 years, but that doesn’t mean it’s lost its power. If you’d like to learn more about ancient solstice traditions, along with real-time downloads on what we as a world need to be focussing on right now, I encourage you to attend Rebecca Wyldewood’s Midsummer Sacred Circle this Sunday. It promises to be a gentle hour full of old-time magic and powerful wisdom on what solstice has to teach us in the modern world. Happy solstice beautiful ones - I'll see you on the flip side 💛 🌞 💛
