Here we are at the mid-point of 2020. Needless to say, it’s been an unexpected ride. My wife recently shared with me a humorous social media post that I think frames this year accurately.

The post said that 2020 is going to be a synonym for “crazy” moving forward. “Hey, look over there, they’re getting a little, you know, 2020.” “I gained control of the car for a moment, and then things just went 2020.”

With everything we are experiencing, the mid-year point is a good time to ask ourselves a few reflective questions:

• How am I doing?
• What are my expectations for this year, and have I made appropriate adjustments given the current circumstances?
• Where can I see personal growth during this uncertain time, and what can I do facilitate further personal development this year?

There is no sense in wasting a perfectly good crisis. Often, when we look back on our life, it’s during the most difficult and disruptive times of our life when we personally grow the most. You need to be at least slightly deranged to enjoy difficulty; however, when we are able to even partially embrace the challenge, we can accelerate our personal growth and development.

Despite the frustration and even anger you might feel when things don’t go the way you expected, I’d encourage you to lean into struggle. James in the New Testament said, “When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

What positive strides have you made so far in 2020? Where do you see opportunity for personal growth during the second half of the year? Feel free to share your thoughts with us if you’d like.