2020 Sucks
Whenever tragedy strikes or tough times fall, we say things like “We’re all in this together” or “We’re all in the same boat.” But if we’re honest, we are NOT all in the same boat – and we all know it. Instead, as Damian Barr put it:
“We are not all in the same boat. We are all in the same storm.”
Right now, the storm is global, we’re calling it 2020/whateveryearitisnow and it’s been a clusterf*ck doozy. And when you think about it, you realize that your boat might be a little closer to the “super-yacht” scenario than the up-shit-creek-without-a-paddle kind…and you’re not sure how to feel about that.
On the one hand, you’re grateful to be relatively secure from a basic-needs-for-survival standpoint. But you also feel guilty or you fear being judged for not seeming as affected as everyone else is by the storm that has been 2020/2021/2022. You’re weren’t worried about when your unemployment will run out or if you’d be hired back when the office reopens then and you’re not worried about making rent or being able to afford groceries now.
Instead, quarantine brought you face-to-face with the same problems you had pre-covid. Things like job and relationship dissatisfaction, feeling stuck in old hurts you fear will never heal, or trying to ignore a nagging sense that everything sucks when nothing is obviously wrong.
Listen – that’s okay. Really, it is. It is okay if your struggles are different than what you’re seeing represented in the headlines and social media posts. It’s okay to still be focused on personal development and growth and resolving old hurts and wounds. There is no hierarchy for pain and suffering in my office, even in the middle of all this turmoil.
This isn’t me masking sarcasm with a sincere tone of voice and saying “Oh honey, your first-world problems are absolutely valid”. It doesn’t matter what world your problems are from – they matter. And, if I can be frank with you for a minute, your job right now, in this global storm, is to take care of your boat and any problems you find with it – not judge whether or not the problem warrants a solution based on the problems other boats have.
In therapy, you can learn how to hold equal space for yourself and others, rather than minimizing your needs and settling for what’s left over at the end of the day. By getting to the root of hurt and dissatisfaction in your lives, you can find clarity and experience healing. And as you do, you’ll become a ship that is equipped with the resources and capacity to help others that are taking on too much water too fast right now without sacrificing your own well-being in the process.
If you’re ready to start your work, whatever it may be, I’m here for it. And I promise, whether or not you think it compares to the tragic headlines in today’s news, it matters just as much to me.
