Have you ever been thrown from a horse? That's what 2020 felt like for so many people. If that happened to you in 2020, I'm only going to ask this one question made famous by one of our favorite films, "Man from Snowy River."

Clancy asks young Jim, "What happens when you get thrown from a horse?"

Jim responds, "You get right back on, you don't let him beat you."

Those seem like pretty important words to me. The clock is ticking, pushing toward 2021. Are you going to get back on?

Just say yes!

Sure, things will have to be different, and you're certainly better at reading the situations now. And you've grown some too. That's a good thing. Pain and discomfort often cause growth.

The important thing is to look back and see how you've survived. Don't look at what you've lost. Getting caught up in what you've lost never serves anybody. Just look through history. Even look through your own story. Focusing on what's been lost only causes a negative spiral. Notice instead how you've survived. Notice how blessed you are to still be here. Notice how strong you are to still be here. If you can survive 2020, you can survive anything! Be powerful. Believe you can be powerful. Stay positive and be willing to see this new year coming as a gift.

In this new gift, awaits abundant opportunities. Will it be scary? Sure. Transitions are always hard. Will it be good? No, it will be GREAT! Because you're in it. You're alive and kicking, you're going to bring your best to the table and never stop fighting to make this world and your world, a better place. Because that's what we do, us humans. We are strong, we are powerful, we are united in the effort to make life grand for us, and for the people we love. Let's keep that dream alive and together, 2021 will not be a road without rocks, potholes, and learning curves, but it will be a road worth traveling.

I'm personally excited about 2021. To say I'm unrealistically optimistic is an overstatement. You don't get bucked off a horse and ignorantly get back on. You calculate how to get back on so it doesn't happen again. That calculation is not basic and easy. But it is good. It's important. It is worth doing. So in that light, I'm excited about 2021. Not just about what it could bring, but about what I could bring to it.

Enough about tomorrow. Let me express my gratitude for yesterday.

Thank you for the ride. 2020

3 lessons learned: "Hindsight is always 2020."

1. Stay positive. I have family members who choose not to be positive. They always bring the most shocking news to the table every time I see them. Sadly, they don't experience much joy and hope. I learned that staying positive and optimistic in spite of the bad news keeps me sane.

2. Don't give up. Sometimes you need a rest. But not every day. When you get tired, and believe me, there were many tired moments in 2020, it's time to dig deep. Rest tomorrow. You are more capable than you think. At least that is what I learned about me.

3. Believe in people not ideas. I believe that ideas don't define people. People do all kinds of things out of fear. People make life defining decision based on ideas they've adopted but may not fully understand. And... new ideas come all day everyday. I don't have to agree with those ideas but I can still believe that people care. That people try to do what they believe is right, even if I think it's not right for me. I can still believe that we have more in common than we think. That our differences are minimal compared. And that if we focus on what we share, we could change the world.

Thank you 2020 for the lessons. Thank you all for being part of that crazy world. Together we made it.

See you soon, in a brand new year! Don