Welcoming 2021!

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2021! I Hope you rang in the New Year with cheer! I believe we were all on the same page of “I can’t wait for 2021”. You may or may not have celebrated the New Year with extended family but as you may have seen in the past couple weeks, there has been a rise in positive cases. It is said per the CDC that 1 in 5 people will test positive for the virus. If you really think about it, you may know more than a couple people that have contracted the virus over the Holiday season. Whether they got it from attending a family gathering over the holidays (Christmas/ New Year), attending gatherings with members outside of their home or even going to the grocery store, COVID is everywhere now, and it is hard to say where you may have caught it.

One thing we can take away from 2020 is to take care of our health and our loved one’s health. We see how many lives the virus has taken away from us, let that be an eye opener to not repeat 2020. When the virus came to United States, we did not know what it was, how severe it was, nor the impact it would take on our economy, our mental and physical health. Now that we see what the virus has done to all of us, we can work together to take a step in the right direction and create a safer environment not only for ourselves but for those around us.

Whether you decide to take the COVID vaccine or not, you can keep yourself safe as much as possible by Wearing a mask that covers your nose, mouth and is positioned under your chin. Social Distancing, keeping at least 6 feet distance from others. Washing your hands often, at least for 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer and Staying home as much as possible, especially if you are feeling a little under the weather unless you are seeking medical attention.

This is year will be the year to adapt and implement all the things we have learned from the past year as we probably already do as the New Year comes around. You may have thought to yourself, “this year I will ….”, on top of your New Year resolutions I am almost certain that everyone will be more aware of their surroundings, more conscious of what they touch, where they go, and stay home if they are sick. 2020 has taught us many things besides being more aware of our health. Depending on what industry you are in, it has given many the opportunity to work from home and show their employers that they are fully capable of working from home without having a negative effect on their workload. In some cases, you might even find a study that confirms that some are more productive at home then in the office. Many companies have been able to save money on expenses that typically come with running an office, utilities, Lunchroom snacks/coffee, rent, housecleaning, etc. Can we expect all companies to allow their employees to work remotely? Maybe, it will definitely be an eye opener for them.

So, what will 2021 be like for us, as there is no certainty in anything, we can only hope that it will be a better year given what we have experienced, learned, and taken away from 2020. We cannot control others’ actions, but we can lead by example and hope that others will stand with us, our frontline workers, and our children to create a better 2021 for all of us.