2022, the year of metamorphosis

2022-01-01T03:16:35.662Z

In our pandemic we have learned to handle uncertainties and review priorities. After reflection, it is now time to put into practice what has been analyzed. And remain flexible

After any traumatic event there is a rethinking of objectives. The year 2020 was the year of resistance; 2021 was one of reflection and acceptance, where we had to look at ourselves in the mirror; 2022 we do not know what will bring us, but it is looming as the year to continue rebuilding ourselves. Perhaps the crowded streets invite us to think about a way out of the pandemic. But in the privacy of the consultation, the rhythm is different. Psychologists observe how many people, after intense work on self-knowledge, have been able to quantify the most positive and negative aspects of their lives and have revised their priorities. They qualify it as a process of metamorphosis. The psychiatrist Boris Cyrulnik says that when we understand, suffering becomes the pleasure of learning.

Not all have been able to reach this process of self-knowledge because their security and balance have been especially cracked. We refer to those most directly affected by the consequences of the pandemic, the most disadvantaged at a social level or people with a higher risk of developing a mental disorder. For these most vulnerable groups, more help and public resources are needed to digest and face what happened.

The reflections in the consultation indicate that they have learned to abandon certainties and better handle uncertainty. You can live without organizing so many plans, with your attention focused more on the short term than on the future, more on appreciating and caring for what we have than on getting frustrated by what we lack. It pays to have higher expectations. Also that the slowness offered by a more peaceful life is valued. That it has been a blessing to return to the discredited routine. That you can telecommute. And that compulsive consumption can be dispensed with. In the same way, there is a greater dedication to personal self-care and the maintenance of good habits such as walking, reading, going to the movies, doing hobbies ... And this is directly related not only to physical health, but also to mental health and emotional.We cannot settle for always being wrong, in the same way that individual vulnerability can be recognized.

But, in addition to acceptance, there has been a stimulating reflection on how we want to live, what kind of work we want to do, what kind of person we want to be and what is the meaning or purpose of our life. Socrates said: "A life without examination is not worth living." Many have thought about what issues prior to the pandemic were harmful (work problems, inadequate stress management, toxic relationships ...) and have considered accelerating decisions that were already considered and of which they have now been more aware.

But, in addition to individual introspection, it has also been the year of collective reflections. For a good coexistence it has been necessary to impose obligations. Greater generosity has been appreciated not only towards family members (especially the elderly) and friends, but also towards strangers. Tolerance and respect for the other have been recognized as essential because we have no choice but to live with people with different ideologies and beliefs.

By 2022, it is time to implement what has been considered, to the extent possible.

You cannot act without prior deliberation.

We have never had so much time to think about what we wanted.

For this, it would be advisable to divide the areas of improvement by areas (professional, couple, health, academic, social, spiritual ...) and order the priorities.

You have to know how to differentiate between what is urgent, what is important and what to expect.

It is better that these purposes come from an internal motivation and not an external one;

that is to say, that it is not necessary to carry them out because it is necessary or because it should.

Each person is at a certain vital moment with different needs.

We are committed to our own goals knowing that they are our own, that they are not imposed and that we claim them as an exercise of freedom.

Some people find it helpful to consider new activities (sign up for English classes, a ceramic course, a writing course or the gym), but the important thing is not what or how much we do, but rather that it connects with our values or personal projects. . If we decide to take a step forward, we must put in place the appropriate means. We must value internal resources while analyzing external ones that can help us. You have to get rid of empty concepts or magic formulas like courage. And value the effort more than the results, because in the effort satisfaction is also found.

It is true that the end of 2021 we did not expect as it has finally been.

But, as Boris Cyrulnik says, "at the heart of danger we find the resources for hope."

We trust in the adaptability of the human being.

Let's greet the new year with a toast congratulating us on our reflections, sharing our learnings and getting excited about the projects we intend to achieve in 2022. Although we will have to be prepared and be open to the experience that forces us to change plans.