Why 2020 Has Been A GREAT Year (Seriously!) [0:00:00]
Quick questions, gents. Has 2020 been a good year or bad year for you?
[Music] Well, if you listen to the media or it seems
like the vast majority of people out there, it seems like all of them can agree that 2020
was the year they would rather have skipped. It was a year that sucked big time.
Me, I’m going to take a non-popular opinion and I’m going to say that 2020 has been
a gift. Seriously, I wouldn’t change anything and I’m thankful for the year that we just
had. And, I’m not saying this because I had a
great year. In fact, it’s complete opposite. This year, we’re down 35% on sales compared
to last year. In addition, I lost $50,000 because a certain project didn’t work out.
I’m also behind on two projects, the deadlines that they’re going to now go into 2021.
Personally, I was hit with a whole lot of bills and expenses I didn’t see coming.
Newer vehicle transmission went out, didn’t expect that. All of a sudden, $7,000 for something
I thought should have been covered under warranty. Oh! They’re putting in a new road. Upset
my wife because they tore up the trees. That’s fine, but you know what? Then, they actually
tore up the driveway and they said, “You got to get a new sewer. Oh! And you got to
get a new driveway and that’s on you.” Boom! $15,000 bill I didn’t see coming.
And, let’s talk about health. This year, I lost my grandmother. I lost an aunt. I had
numerous people in my family get seriously sick with that illness going around.
Now, despite all these, I am thankful for this year because it is the pain, it’s the
reminder that nothing is permanent that has really sunk into me this year. Because I’m
just going to be honest, for the last few years, I feel I’ve been coasting, doing
really well, having, you know, my websites got get traffic. Have my YouTube channel get
great traffic. Money is coming in from various sources and
all of a sudden, this year we got hit by Google update, our traffic, yeah, fell in half. All
of a sudden, the revenue from that website fell in half. Actually, it went down to one-third
because we also had a number of sponsors who just simply pulled out. Everyone got scared
whenever COVID first hit. So, all of a sudden, I’m put in this very
difficult position and looking back, it was probably the best thing that could have happened
to me this year. Why? Because it’s a reminder that everything changes.
So, have you ever heard of Suzuki Roshi? That’s what he summarized Buddhism in those two words,
everything changes. And in fact, you go back to the Greek philosopher,
Heraclitus, he said, “No same man can walk through the same river twice.” And what
he meant by that is not only has the river changed when you go back to re-walk through
it, but also, you have changed as an individual. The point I’m trying to get out here, gents,
is that in permanence is the nature of life. Everything grows, everything lives, and everything
dies. When you’re at the top, you will eventually fall. When you’re at the bottom, you will
eventually rise. And it’s our attachment to being the best
to being at the top, to having everything going our way, which makes it so painful when
things are not. But, when you realize it, you can let go of that attachment. You realize
things go in circles, things go in cycles. And that no matter how hard you try, eventually
you’re going to fall. But, the great part about this is you also have the opportunity
to rise back up again. And it’s that dynamic changing it’s understanding that nothing
stays the same ever. And that right there, gentlemen, I know for me has given me peace
and has really made it a lot more easy to understand what’s going on in the world.
So, all this change, all this adversity, all this pain, all these obstacles that we’re
going through this year, gentlemen, take it as a gift. Understand that this is how life
wakes you up. This is how life prepares you for what is to come.
This is what makes you stronger. When you go to the gym and you start lifting weights,
what happens to your hands? You get calluses. And those calluses initially are a little
bit painful, they’re sore, but those calluses then give you the ability later on to lift
heavier weights because your body is conditioned to it.
For many us, gents, these trials are going to be our greatest gift. They are going to
help us define who we are. You think of Hercules, the glory of Hera. He was named after Hera
because his mother wanted to protect him from Hera, who wanted to kill him and actually
sent snakes when he was a baby. And what did Hercules do? He strangled the
snakes. He went on to go through the labors and actually do all twelve of those labors.
And that’s how Hercules defined himself. And what we remember, we remember Hercules
was strong, but what we really remember is what he was able to do with that strength.
And, within each of us, there is great strength. There is great – there is perseverance,
there is the ability to get through a lot more than we know we are capable of.
And so, that’s why this year has been so great for so many of us because we’re going
to look back and we’re going to say, “You know what? I made it through that. I can push
through 2021, 2022. I will be able to accomplish so much more going forward.”
[0:04:59] Now, some of you guys know this year I had
challenge coins made. This is the second set. Let me go ahead and read the quote on the
back of this coin, “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through
experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition
inspired, and success achieved.” Now, gents, I’ve got quite a few of these
coins I want to give away. What I’m asking you to do is to like this video, pass it on
to another man, who can use the video. And then, let me know down in the comments why
this year has been a gift to you. I want you to look at the glass and instead
of looking at it half empty, look at it half full. And look at how you can achieve greatness
going into 2021 based off of the suffering, the trial, the tribulations that you went
through this year. Now, if you want to keep this private, I totally
understand, but I’d ask that you still send me an email. I’m putting the contact form
down in the description. But, what I’d really appreciate is down in the comments you inspire
other men with your story. So, what video to watch next? How about this
one, leadership in a time of chaos? It didn’t get a lot of views, but I think it’s one
of my better videos talking about how you can become the man you know yourself to be.
And to lead your family, your congregation, wherever it is you find yourself, how to show
others how to help them get through these tough times.
Check out it, guys. It’s a great video. [0:06:15] End of audio