What I have Learned this Past Year

This has been one of the most unusual, challenging years for so many of us. There have been so many obstacles, restrictions, and new things to be aware of – as we moved into and through this past year.

It has forced us to re-evaluate life, living and what has value to us. It has forced us to be present to the way we live – and how this will change – moving forward.

There are so many opportunities to rise above and:

  • To look at what is working

  • To look at what is not working

  • To review old beliefs and opinions

  • To re-evaluate habits and old ways of being

  • To stay open hearted in an environment of constriction (& at times judgement)

  • To stay open minded in a year of chaos and confusion (& overload)

  • To re-arrange life in ways that inspire us and fulfill us


It has been intense and incredible – all at the same time. It has been both spacious and contracted – all at the same time. It has been Light & Dark – all at the same time. There is so much to lean into – so much to learn.

So – in this crazy, chaotic year filled with possibilities for something new &/or different, I would like to share some things I have truly come to believe, learn or deepen my understanding of them.

Curiosities that keep me humble in the learning:

  • I have so much to learn about life and myself

  • There is so much peace and chaos in solitude

  • No amount of planning can fully prepare us for the unknown

  • Life doesn’t work on my ‘timelines’

  • Life is ‘stranger than fiction’ – you cannot make some of this stuff up

  • I am resilient and have a great deal of hope and faith

  • Connection (especially hugs) are vital to mental & physical health

  • Patience and letting go is a lifetime journey for me

  • It is critical to question everything

  • It is vital to ‘check in’ with my heart energy to feel the resonance or dissonance

  • Disagreeing with others can be respectful and kind but sometimes it is not

  • Disappointment is a part of having expectations

  • You cannot believe everything you read, see, or hear

  • Life is not a ‘straight line’ experience

  • What I want is not always what I need

  • Care but don’t carry others. Caring for others is not the same as ‘carrying them’

  • Resistance brings out the best and worst in people

  • Pressure and differing opinions brings out the truth of our beliefs

  • Fear immobilizes people & compromises our ability to make rational choices

  • Out of constriction – can come amazing clarity

  • Time allows us to heal if we are willing to go to the hurt & unhealed places

  • Love truly can change most things

  • Even in the face of adversity, I need to keep asking questions & working through the confusion

  • I value Freedom as much as life itself

  • I need to learn new things to incorporate into my life, teachings and relationships

  • I love authentic people and how they live their lives. They inspire me

  • I realize how little I need

  • I love life and my ‘heart’ peeps

I’m curious, if you’d care to share, what has the last year taught you?

Stay connected to your heart; this is a challenging time for us all.

Love & light
Brenda

Brenda Dowell