Opinion-Piece:
We find ourselves not quite halfway through 2020 A.D., and yet this year has felt like it has held the most uncertainty and headlines in my 25 short years of existence.
To recap:
-January 26th: Kobe Bryant (legendary NBA icon), his daughter, and several others sadly perished in a helicopter accident.
-March: The NCAA cancelled the annual “March Madness” tournament in lieu of the impending “Coronavirus” that had slowly found its way to American soil. The following shutdown turned from 1 week to 2 to an ongoing worldwide pandemic that “rules” our present day.
-May 25th, 2020: Minneapolis resident, George Floyd, was mercilessly murdered in our backyard leading to intranational protest, violent riots, and calls for nationwide police education and reform.
Why am I bringing this up? It is amazing how much our thoughts can dictate our reality, as well as slip into a very melancholy mindset if we aren’t careful. In the midst of an ever-evolving 2020, Dr. Gina and I deemed it important to share some truths and mindset shifts that we have individually chosen to hold onto:
1) No day is guaranteed. Kobe Bryant was one of the fittest athletes of all time, and yet he unexpectantly departed. No one knows when his/her day or hour will be. Are you living the life that your younger self would be proud of? Are you the husband, wife, brother, sister, grandparent, parent, neighbor, friend that you would be overjoyed to know? If not…why not? Could this be your wake-up call?
2) Planning is ‘overrated.‘ I am not saying don’t plan. In fact, as the old adage goes, “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” I personally had to plan and revise my wedding with my wife again and again and again. But, our day came and went beautifully. Related to bullet point #1, COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to be more present than ever before. Plans change and that’s ok. Loosen your hand on the controller. “Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns—and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan?” (Matthew 6:26-27).
3) Be grateful. If you’re reading this, you are still alive. I wouldn’t put us in the same category as the Greatest Generation or Holocaust survivors, but I would much rather be known as “strong,” than “safe and sheltered.” Remember all of the refining that must take place to create the most awesome diamonds. Challenge accepted.
4) Racism is still very much alive and it is evil. It blows my mind that one of the greatest gifts that we have been given-diversity and individuality-is used to rip our country, communities, and even our families apart. Black is beautiful. White is beautiful. Everything in-between is beautiful and uniquely created. Are there systemic issues? Absolutely. But, also, what can we do individually in our communication and how we treat one another, either consciously or subconsciously, to not even allow a snippet of racism to infiltrate our psyche or our families? Let’s take individual ownership over that element.
5) God is faithful. God is unchanging, (Malachi 3:6). People change, families change, communities change. Heck even our concept of reality has very drastically altered in just the last 3 months! How encouraging it is to know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, (Hebrews 13:8). This is the hope that I cling to more than anything else.
“When will we go back to normal?” “Is this our new normal?…” None of us know the answers to these types of questions. Who’s to say when this will end/or if it will? Will 2021 look the same? That thought can seem daunting. If you’re struggling to make rent, or fearful of the future, or worried about your business, know that we at Health 1st have you front-of-mind. Let us know if there’s any way that we can help! Hopefully these 5 bullet points were what you needed to hear/see today!
-Brock Baumgarn, CA, Health 1st Chiropractic