I came across this mobile sign during one of my daily neighbourhood walks.   The message reads, “Good Riddance 2020”, and it got me thinking.   While I appreciate the sentiment and the poor attempt at levity, I instantly felt that we should not be feeding into the grievances of the past but rather be encouraged towards the future. Yes! this year has been one of the most difficult in recent history.  Some say it's been one of the worse.   The year has played havoc with livelihoods and lives.   The anxiety of lockdowns and the unknowns have been very stressful indeed giving rise to unprecedented mental health issues.   Yet, we have strived to overcome these feelings of isolation; the reality of loss; the intense - anxiety; and this impending unknown – like the sound of a train roaring towards you, bracing yourself for an impact that doesn't quite happen.  We have succeeded in overcoming and I don't think we need to rid ourselves of that newfound strength. Do you? Many good things have happened this year. Babies were born, people were married, love found, and life has flourished in different and new ways. Do we really want to say good riddance to that too? Let's take a step back, and for a moment consider this:   There is a force much larger than ourselves, with a plan that is for our betterment.  I realise that idea today may be a difficult stretch for some - but for just a moment, let's consider these questions: "Is there any possibility we have been spared something worse? Is there a possibility that the craziness of this year has prepared us for something else around the corner?”   What about the advancement in scientific research that this year forced? We now have medical technology that can save us not only from this virus but others, maybe even from cancer and other disease.  We have proven our collective ingenuity to make progress in lighting speed. We have witnessed tremendous advancement in business technology and processes. We have redefined the workplace - the freedom of working from anywhere not limited by time. At AdvancePro - we have introduced a crazy number of new features empowering business to do more. Our entire team now works from the comfort of their homes - and we are even more productive.  Many things have changed rapidly - and that can be a really good thing.  Necessity has proven to be the mother of invention; we have pushed forward into the future with an urgency and explosion.  A new term will surface to describe this period as history unfolds the change and embraces the innovation into our daily lives. "This year we have proven to Move Through Walls.   Our will is there to overcome, shift, and change – our innate instinct to survive and thrive lends ability to challenge anything that comes our way." How are you feeling about family, neighbours, and humanity? This year my family has spent quality time together like never before. We have connected, grown, and learned more about each other.  I have gotten to know my neighbours from my daily walks. But even more impressive is the growth of our global community. The polarizing spectrum of differences has forced meaningful awareness and discourse.   Major interconnected social and environmental issues have surfaced with an urgency to address. "2020 is the year we have looked in the mirror to face ourselves and have examined the reflection of others. It has been a year of authenticity, clarity, and action. This is who we are! This is what we can become.” On reflection of this year, I struggle with what I can only term the tragic commoditization in the loss of life.  Every person has a name, every person counts. In their wake are left those who must manage the loss. Livelihoods destroyed; businesses failed. We need to send a message to the person next to us: “You are not alone, you are recognized, you are a hero to survive and rebuild. It is okay to ask for help.” I must believe everything that happens has a magical serendipity which only reveals itself in a time gone by as we look in the rear-view mirror or yesterday. So, buckle up people. Let's start with balancing our unicycle. This happens in steps.  It starts with Day 1 of 2021.  A year to focus on gratefulness for every day that brings with it a new light and the strength to rebuild and not lose ourselves in what we have lost, but rather what we have gained. Let's all look forward to the amazing things that are going to happen, the changes we will make, the betterment of ourselves and humanity. This sign should read "looking forward to the brightness and possibilities for 2021". Get the message? Happy New Year ahead. Israel Ellis is the author of Moving Through Walls (2019)