Last year around this same time, I wrote an interesting post about the year 2020 and what it has taught me. I’m pretty sure I speak for everyone in that last year has taught us all a lot. It taught us how to survive during this pandemic and to do certain things on our own, such as cooking.

However, as we say goodbye to 2021, let’s take this time to reflect on what this year has taught us personally. While not quite as depressing of a year as 2020 was, it was still a tough year for most of us. But here are a few things that it has taught me personally.

Hard Work Certainly Pays off

The first thing that this year has taught me is the old cliché certainly rings true- “Hard Work Certainly does Pay off.” This year, I went from working temporary jobs to make ends meet, some of them long-term, to finally working a permanent job.

At my day job at an energy efficiency company, I started off being a part of a one-year pilot program. But in June of this year, I’ve applied for an open Program Coordinator position, interviewed for it, and have been working on it ever since. It has been both interesting and different working at a job with actual benefits. But it feels great being a part of a company where I am learning a lot about energy efficiency.

Learning New Skills is Beneficial

Another thing I’ve learned is how awesome it is to learn new skills, especially if it is free. I have done all sorts of free online learning. Whether it’s experiencing my first one-week Haitian Creole pioneer school in March or attending different energy efficiency webinars, knowledge is power and increases my skills.

If there’s anything you want to learn or improve in, take advantage of all these free online learning tools out there. Learning a new skill could lead to a nice hobby that you probably needed. There’s nothing wrong with learning something new.

Importance of Praying for Endurance

Of course this year, just like 2020, we all have to endure this pandemic. It’s not over yet, you guys. But there are other things that we might’ve had to endure through. For me, it was helping my mother take care of my sick aunt. Or putting forth more effort in calling and writing letters to people about God’s future promises for a better world.

While we must continue to endure no matter our obstacles, it’s also important to pray for more endurance. Some of us have found ourselves becoming discouraged occasionally during this ordeal. Some of us have even experienced thoughts of possibly giving up. But when we find ourselves thinking this way, it’s vital that stop what we’re doing and pray. Never underestimate the power of it!

Those were some of the things 2021 has taught me. As we close the book on this year, what are some of the things it has taught you? Feel free to reflect on this hectic but interesting year we’ve had in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with someone you love.