Hope Smiles on You

At this time of year, I like to look back over the past year. It’s certainly been very different than any other year. For every single one of us.

For me, 2020 meant minimal travel, more webinars, more screen time, more appeals, more emails, more writing and working harder than ever before. I’ve been busy and fortunate to support wonderful fundraisers like you, so I’m very grateful to you. Together, we are all trying to make a difference.

Here are my five people and things that kept me sane:

1. My husband. He’s one of the most positive and happy people I know. Having a simple cup of coffee in the morning, dinner or a beach walk together makes the pandemic melt away for a little while.
2. Reading positive stories. One of my favorite authors is Jon Gordon, and I enjoy all of his books on leadership and thinking positive thoughts. It’s so important to keep yourself motivated.
3. Exercise. I was fortunate my gym pivoted quickly to Zoom barre classes, and I’m still doing those several times a week.
4. Watching positive and inspirational movies. I’ll admit I’m an avid fan of Hallmark movies and other movies in that same style. The last thing we need right now is violence and depressing stuff. There’s enough out there already. I love losing myself in an hour and a half of fairytale.
5. Positive feedback and stories from nonprofits like you that share their successes, especially now. More monthly donors. Upgraded monthly donors. Extra gifts from monthly donors. So please keep that up. I can’t wait to see how the year-end results turn out for you!

So, have a wonderful holiday, take a few days off, and then go for that final year-end push.

And let me end with an Alfred Lord Tennyson quote I just read:

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’”