Kaleidoscope, a constantly changing pattern, or sequence of events. The year 2020 has been my kaleidoscope; it has also been the year I asked for courage.
A few of the changes
The year 2020 came with many changes. One was having to drive on my own (this is a big thing for me). Ending my first service design lead project. Being retrenched and saying goodbye to my first job. Learning to connect with a new team in a new area. Finding my balance in a pandemic. My first car accident ( I’m fine, I scratched my hubcap, it’s repaired and good as new). Meeting new people and saying goodbye to others, I tried new things and my kaleidoscope is still rotating.
To say the year 2020 has been a challenge would be an understatement. However, this year has given me all I could ask for.
At the start of the year, I wanted a new work adventure, I wanted to be in a place where I could creatively and professionally grow again.
Getting Retrenched
The day I was retrenched, I sat outside my boss’s office and doodled as I usually do, and the words I wrote as I went in were “out you go”. Strangely, I was prepared, I needed something new and that was my way out. As I signed the pages closing one window, I received a message opening a new door.
God works in mysterious ways and this year has been another in which I got to see him carry me through.
Finding my courage
When my days were tough I would gain motivation by seeing my word ‘courage’ appear. It would appear in books, song lyrics, prayers, meditations and even through other people.
As a result this year was great despite its crazy ever changing nature.
The kaleidoscope
The gift given on the last day of my first job included a kaleidoscope and although I still have no idea what it meant and I’m sure I still don’t.
However, like a kaleidoscope, my days haven’t stopped changing since I left. Even though it has been unpredictable it has been filled with color, endless opportunity, and moments of me practicing courage.
Alongside courage came resilience as I found I could not have one without the other, courage to me was about taking the opportunities, resilience was about making it through.
Gratitude
As the year 2020 comes to a close I find myself grateful, grateful for the people who were a part of my year 2020, grateful for the opportunities, the ones I took and the ones I passed but most importantly grateful for my God for the many blessings I have been given.
Until the last minute of the year 2020, I will be looking for more ways to practice courage and learning from the lessons it may bring.