How has life changed? How have you changed?
My life actually doesn’t feel like it has changed much. Although I’m now working from home, the experience feels very similar to how I would work remotely when taking a sick day so it instead feels very normal. It weirdly still feels like I don’t have enough time to read all the things I want to read, watch all the things I want to watch, or play all the things I want to play. Life is still busy.
Important Highlights: Any silver linings?
Since I’m working from home, I think my mental health has improved due to improved work/life balance. I don’t feel the pressure of ambition as much from home than I did in the office and I no longer have to be “on” with a smile on my face all the time. Additionally, COVID-19 has prompted me to reconsider my engagement with my community and the world at large so I’ve spent significantly more time volunteering and being more thoughtful about my giving.
Difficulties: What has been challenging?
I’ve been extremely fortunate where there hasn’t been much that has been challenging. I enjoy being at home with my cat, my career has been stable with new opportunities, and I’m busier with new volunteering. If anything, the perception that I have all this time to do all the things I’ve been wanting to do at home being at odds with the reality that I still don’t have all the time I would like has been interesting.
What do you hope for 2021?
I hope for the world to take a step forward and for me to stay true to my convictions. Sometimes I look around and it’s hard not to give in to cynicism in my heart. Sometimes I feel like I should just give up on people – I don’t need to kick people when they’re down, but maybe I also don’t need to extend a hand just to watch it get slapped back either. I do believe that actions and decisions should have consequences as it’s part of free will. Unfortunately as we’ve seen, decisions can have far-reaching implications on other people.
So all I can do is remember that I believe in equal opportunity, diversity of thought, and while complex people are in general fairly similar that we’re just trying to live our lives as happily as we can.
Anyway, I suppose for 2021 I hope that at the end I can look back on the year and earnestly believe that I still did my best to do what I think is right in all circumstances and I hope the same for the world.
Submitted by Anonymous, Orange County – Newport Beach.