We’re moments away from the U.S. Presidential election and honestly I can’t wait for the relentless politicking to be over.

COVID-19 case counts are rising around the country and winter is coming.

A stimulus deal to help the folks who are scraping by seems stalled.

Markets are volatile (up and down).

It’s challenging to feel positive some days, especially when it feels like Groundhog’s Day.

When we take a look at 2020, it’s easy to see it as a long string of disasters, one after another. And the last year has exacted a terrible cost. In lives cut short and dreams shattered. Or maybe it just feels that way?

At some point we just need to roll with the punches. Dare I say, LAUGH? Maybe this picture will do it for you…

But I think we should look for the good stuff that happened as well. Sometimes, it’s hard to remember the good things because they slip in quietly and often go unnoticed. While the bad news announces itself loudly, instantly, and overwhelmingly.

What if we paused to ask: what good has come to my life because of this year?

While the question might seem odd to ask in the middle of a pandemic, I’ll start.

• Every morning, and I am grateful to be ALIVE and HEALTHY. The same goes for my family and my friend circles. The fact that I can get up and help make a difference in the world has never been more apparent than during this crisis. I never want to underestimate the importance of health.
• I’m grateful for the additional time spent with my FAMILY. It’s so easy to get caught up in the shuffle of work, school, activities, travel, and everything else. Less travel means more home time. I’m glad we had the opportunity to slow down and make each other our refuge. I’m also grateful for my wife helping shape our kids into great little people!
• Even though we haven’t been able to travel to see family as much this year, we are thankful for the TECHNOLOGY that allows us to see each other. Video calls are now a regular occurrence for us.
• I developed a new appreciation for my neighbors in MY NEIGHBORHOOD. We were all thrown together during the lockdown and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gotten to know them better. We’ve been creative with social activities while properly distancing, but at least have kept the interactions going.
• I reconnected with old friends from COLLEGE. I’ve had more time to reach out using various social media and contact them. We’d drifted apart over the years and I’m glad we could catch up.
• I think our grand experiment in remote work is going to yield big benefits to our society. In my life, it’s opened doors to a new way of life I’m excited to explore. My occupation had gotten very VIRTUAL prior to this year, but the lack of travel has almost made my practice nearly 100% virtual in 2020.
• After seeing what our nation’s TEACHERS have to do for our kids’ learning, I have great admiration for the patience and skills that they possess! I’ve had teachers in my family so I was familiar, but until we’ve had to “teach from home” I never fully knew what was involved.
• Speaking of respect, many kudos go out to those who put DUTY above personal SAFETY. I have a newfound appreciation for our first responders, healthcare employees, truck drivers, grocery workers, and the military. They are on the front lines having to deal with all the chaos this year has brought on.
• I’ve learned that we can probably get through life with a little bit LESS. And you know what, we’re going to be OK! Not that my family lives extravagantly, but we certainly reviewed our discretionary spending during this downtime. We dialed a few things back and haven’t skipped a beat.
• As for the markets, I am grateful that the MARKETS have rebounded since the Covid lows in March 2020. For the havoc that the pandemic has brought to our society, the markets have rebounded better than expected. It’s always scary to see the market drop so fast like it did earlier this year. We’ve got a ways to go but I am thankful that we climbed out of a large hole.

What good things came about in your life?

Will you share them with me? I’d love to know. Hearing good news helps me stay positive when some days feel like we’re stuck in a rut.

I’ll end with a quote from an unknown source (but I find it so very appropriate):

“We are often so caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don’t overlook it.”

Be positive! Brandon