After a bumpy and chaotic 2020, I wish I could tell you all that 2021 is going to be smooth sailing. But if I did, that would be a lie, and I’d have to give back my award as a top thought leader in trust.
Having said that, it’s going to be better – not perfect, mind you – but better than it was in 2020. Let’s explore how. Below are some things we can trust and things we need to be aware of.
Trust Mother Nature
As an inveterate traveler, like many of you, I was grounded in 2020, and it’s not going to change overnight to unrestricted travel in 2021. As the vaccines are rolled out around the world, we’ll see an easing of the restrictions that have kept us at home. Shuttered accommodations and closed restaurants are going to change what we can expect when we can travel again.
With fewer planes flying and historical sites untrammeled, I was hopeful that healing of the earth would take place and we would see and experience Mother Nature’s restorative powers at work. In some cases we have. Conservationists are seeing species that were threatened rebound in numbers that are exciting to see. While no one is sorry to see the pandemic end, we now have an opportunity to see how nature can rebound if given a chance.
Right now, countries and people that relied on tourists for their income are forced to kill the animals for food that they once hunted for photo opportunities. Air quality improved as factories shut down production. But they are expected to ramp up production soon, and any gains will soon be a thing of the past. In order for us to trust in a healthy planet going forward, we’d have to trust that integrity would outstrip profit and allow Mother Nature to do her best. We have to take the best of what we learned and find a way to incorporate it into how we operate in the future.
Trust in Science
Man, there are a lot of kooks out there. In order to trust science, you have to tell the real scientists from the pseudo scientists. Seriously, it’s not hard to do if you take a moment. Real scientists do research that they are willing to talk about and debate. If the article starts out with “Doctors don’t want you to know” or some such nonsense, it is more than likely a conspiracy theory that lacks credibility. As much as I want to believe my relative who says climate change isn’t real, he is part of an industry that profits from denying its existence. There is a reason for the adage “follow the money”, for many, if not most of them, are doing this for some kind of gain. If you do a little digging, you’ll usually find out how.
Gravity exists whether you believe in it or not, just as climate change does. And mask protection and vaccines do protect us. Trust the science.
Connection with Others is Important to our Health
My best friend Susan and I talk almost every day. My husband has said on more than one occasion that he doesn’t know what we could possibly have to talk about each day. If you have a best friend, you know there is always stuff, and phone calls and contact with my friends is more important than ever. Science backs me up.
Scientists – yes, those who are willing to do the research and share it with us – have shown us how important staying connected is for our health.
I think physical human contact is what I miss the most. I envision a room full of people hugging each other. Heart to heart, soul-to-soul and the collective sigh of contentment we’ll hear when we can physically connect with friends and family. I know it is something I look forward to taking for granted. Yup, you read that right. I want the memory of not hugging to be such a distant memory that I can start to believe the drought of touch never happened and I take for granted the hug I get to give you.
I trust you feel the same.
This article first appeared in Big Blend magazine before I spoke on their podcast. You can go to https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/things-to-trust-this-year/ to listen to the podcast and read more of the travel adventures of Lisa and Nancy.