Time for Loss, Time for Change, Time is Now
Darling Marketing Community Lapkass 
The past year has been a challenge, we need to grieve the loss however that may be.
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
—Socrates
I have often reminded myself that the only thing constant in life is change. We all experience change throughout our lives. Yet who really likes change? Change can be good (a new home, a new job), and change can wreak havoc in our lives. Change can be stressful, cause sleepless nights, and change can be filled with joy. 2020 has been filled with all types of change. It has been like hiking on a trail with endless switchbacks with no end in sight and no promised glorious view at the top of the mountain. Living in a world impacted by something not even visible to the human eye feels like a game of whack-a-mole. I am never quite sure what new change or adaption I will have to make each day. The number of changes seems never-ending: virtual meetings, work from home, wear a mask, social distancing, air high fives instead of hugs, etc. At times I feel overwhelmed, other times sad, and other times angry. I do not want to accept this new way of living, yet the world has changed. There is no going back. The impact of these changes is real. Life is different no matter how much I want it to be the same.
A few months back, I was presented with a quote that resonated with all my feelings. Finally, I had a way to express what the impact of the past year has had on my life. As Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky write in Leadership on the Line “People do not resist change, per se. People resist loss”. As I let this thought sink into my soul, I began to almost feel calm. I finally began grieving the lost moments and experiences from the past several months. Acknowledging that the world has changed and that with this change I have lost what might have been, has been restorative. I realized I have been experiencing the many stages of grief from shock, to anger to acceptance. I may not be able to pinpoint every specific loss or stage of grief. Just accepting that the world is different, that I have been grieving has created a sense of peace within me. Am I happy about having to make changes? No. Did I want the world to drastically change overnight? No. However, the world has changed. That is a fact. How I now choose to relate to all these changes is up to me. I did not choose this virus to change the world.
I do choose to use my time wisely to create a new better world. I am not waiting for a new year, I am starting now.