Being a writer has taught me to define years in my life as thematic scenes. Just as how many stories are fueled with themes, mine always had one. They are the pulse of the story, and they keep the momentum going.

The same goes for our lives. We must choose a theme that will compel us to complete our story. I motivate myself by dedicating all my goals, actions, and plans to this ultimate idea. 

That’s how I wanted 2020 to play out for me. It was well planned out, and I was ready to commit to my theme of the year. Until the clock struck 12 on the first of January, and we’re all doomed with uncertainty from a spreading disease.

My theme of the year made a 360 degree turn from Ambition to Fear.

Now, after almost three months of quarantine, some lessons have emerged from the time alone I’ve spent reflecting on this.

Life Is Fleeting

With everything that’s going on around the world, not knowing what’s exactly going to happen soon and not having planned everything kills me. It makes me anxious.

Just as people have been saying early on into this saga, life will never be the same. But that’s all right. It could be a bit hard to wrap one’s brain around it, but it’s humbling to know that we don’t own our lives, let alone our time here on earth. 

Accepting this could be life-changing, empowering even. Knowing we’d spring right back on track after a few months is more comforting. 

But there’s nothing wrong with also knowing that any time could be our last because it gives us the sense of urgency we need in life. It makes us carefully ponder the choices we make, and ask ourselves if the clock is ticking, how should I make each moment count?

With this reflection in mind, I think it’s only appropriate we change the theme of our year from Fear to Faith.

Faith Is Greater Than Fear

When you think about it, we’re like trees. No matter how strong the wind gets, as long as we’re grounded in our roots, we can only ever bend and not uprooted. 

Faith keeps us grounded. More than anything, it helps us find compassion and healing to move forward. When we focus on what we believe in, everything that once was scary will never have a hold on us anymore. 

The future is what you make it. But if we choose to get distracted by temporary things, the economy, political climate, and the growing number of deaths, we will only be crippled with fear. Thus, the inability to create the future we always wanted.

When we focus on what truly matters, nothing frightening could take our Faith away from us. God has already won the victory, anyway. He alone knows all His plans for us, which are plans to bring us prosperity and not disaster (Jeremiah 29:11).

It’s just a matter of perspective. When we shift our point of view on Faith > Fear, doesn’t it feel like a load has been lifted off our shoulders?

Humanity Is Our Shared Responsibility

A life worth living requires a commitment to each other. The way forward is always uncharted. But it’s worth the fight and adventure when we have each other.

We should all remember that we are made for one another. God created humanity for unity, and our community is everything. We cannot survive alone in this world.

No matter how much we think we have it all, we’ll still have gaps in our lives that other people can fill for us.

Real joy comes from a generous heart. And it’s even more fulfilling when we help each other out. So, in times like this, don’t hesitate to find people you can grace with your blessings.

Just do something – no matter how big or small. What matters is your intention and where your heart is when you give.

More than ever, this pandemic has allowed us to come to terms with the reality of humanity and how we must take care of each other.

Life is not about what you keep for yourself. It’s about what you contribute to the ones you love, your community, and the rest of the world. We are co-existing, and it is our shared responsibility to have each others’ back.

—

So, hold on to FAITH this year and turn all these moments of destruction and uncertainty into something you can control. Wherever you are in the world, be the light in someone’s darkness. And that’s how you keep the Faith. Hopefully, that, and the other lessons we learn from this over time, will stick around for the long haul.

Continue Reading