The title of this blog was not meant to be clickbait. I’m sure many of you are thinking that 2020 may go down as a year that we would just rather soon forget. I find this quite interesting considering that many of us were very optimistic heading into the new year 2020. At Loveworks, we even themed our summer leadership experience, 20/20 Vision. 

You’re not alone if you are ready for this year to pass us by. Here’s are a few of my favorite memes. Maybe you can relate.

While there is probably a kernel of truth in the strong emotional feelings that all of us are having right now, I’d like to remind you of a special story of someone who made world-changing discoveries and is recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time, all while spending a prime year of his life in quarantine.  

 It was in self-isolation during the plague of 1665 when Isaac Newton, then a 23-year-old student, invented calculus while watching apples fall in his family orchard and discovered the theory of gravity. “Shelter in place” may provide the opportunity you need to develop you!

That year became known as the Year of Wonders.

 Taking a deeper look at this year, Newton said that the forced absence became the most intellectually fruitful time of his whole life. It showed him the opportunity to let his mind run free. 

 You might be thinking, that is great for Sir Isaac, but did he have kids to chase around a house all day, or unpaid bills that are stacking up, or a close relative that was infected with a virus? Those answers I do not know. But I believe that anything worthwhile in both good times and in hard is an uphill battle. 

 How can this year become your Year of wonder?

 Maybe you can research a recipe and start cooking? Or open a Word doc and write the first chapter of your book? Maybe it’s spending some uninterrupted time just getting to know your kids? Or taking an online lesson to learn a new language?. All BIG DREAMS start somewhere. And who knows, maybe we will come out as the best version of ourselves after these trials are over. 

I leave you with this quote from CS Lewis,

You can’t go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending. 

P.S. In our LINK with Loveworks interview last week, our associate director Carolyn Le shared about a reawakening that occurred in pursuing her childhood dream of becoming a musician. It all happened when she “just started” watching a youtube video that taught her how to play and write her first song on the guitar. You can check out the whole video here or access the podcast version on Apple or Soundcloud.