Fundamentals: My End of 2020 Reflections

Dear friends,

I’m writing these lines from one of my favorite places on Earth: Autrans. The mountains and the valleys are covered with snow; the peace outside inspires me to find more within. To rest. To sleep. To hug. To cook. To eat. To really taste each bite. To curiously observe how soft the snow can be and how snowflakes stick to each other. I slowed down gradually the past week and I’m happy I will be on holiday for another few days.

I’ve been reflecting back on this year, 2020. The word that came to me as an umbrella of all my reflections was: fundamentals. In many ways, in its joys and sorrows, this year was about going back to fundamentals for me. Going back to those basic, essential things that make a life, or making progress on some journeys I’ve already been on.

We like to divide time up into chunks: a year, a month, a day, a moment. Internal journeys don't happen in this timeframe. Something I notice in 2017 solidifies in 2020. Something that emerges in 2016 takes shape in 2019. The end of the year is a chance to look at what’s continuing to change, rather than what’s starting and stopping.

This year I will share with you where I am on 9 multi-decade journeys I deeply care about: Reading, Community, Trust, Home, Family, Nature, Burnout, Multi-Passionate Life, and Joy. I would love to hear from you about your journeys and reflections. The conversations we have via these writings always feel so precious and magical. We may be needing a togetherness in reflection now more than ever.

Hope you enjoy it, reflect, write back to me, get some rest, and find some joy as 2020 ends and 2021 begins!