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Marcus Lopés

LGTBQIA2S+ Author, Blogger, Runner

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hope

2020: It Changed Everything

December 2, 2020 by Marcus Leave a Comment

I don’t know about you, but at the beginning of 2020, I had some big, ambitious plans. I’d hoped to: publish two full-length novels, complete my second full marathon, and begin transitioning out of a job that I no longer enjoyed. Those were my top goals for the year that would push me closer to living my life’s purpose, to be more daring and bold. Most of all, I wanted to stop caring about what other people think and focus on what matters most. Then COVID-19 hit and changed everything.

Embracing Reality

COVID-19 brought a lot of chaos to the world, turned lives upside-down, and claimed too many lives. Until March of this year, I worked in the aviation industry. As airlines cut flights, I was among the first of employees that were furloughed. I had a choice — wallow and complain about my situation, or make the best of it. I chose to embrace reality and threw my energy into what mattered most. Writing. Living my best life. Staying true to who I am.

What 2020 Has Taught Me

changed everythingDespite being able to focus on my writing, it hasn’t been easy. Going from a full-time job to no job. Staying home and not seeing friends or family. Feeling cut off from the world, a growing disconnect. Still, I’m learning just how resilient the human spirit is. There is hope just beyond the horizon. That if we believe, good things can, and will, happen.

As the year winds down, and with a potential vaccine for COVID-19 only weeks away from approval, I am hanging on to hope. Hope is the light that guides us through the darkness, that gives us the courage to go on when we’re on the verge of giving up.

For me, 2020’s greatest lesson is this: don’t give up.

Signing Off

A lot has happened this year. One thing I’ve become better at is taking care of myself, knowing when to push on and when to rest. Now it’s time to rest. I’ll see you in 2021. In the meantime, be well, stay safe, and live your best life.

What is your biggest achievement of 2020? Leave a comment below or click Reply to share.

Filed Under: Writing Life Tagged With: 2020, chaos, covid, don't give up, hope, live your best life, lockdown

The Fix: Gratitude

July 15, 2020 by Marcus 2 Comments

I’m going to talk about the elephant in the room: COVID-19 fatigue. I’m not talking about the physical symptom associated with the virus — feeling weak, tired, or exhausted. What I’m talking about is the fatigue of hearing about it 24/7, 7 days a week. The earth-shattering, apocalyptic music news shows play as an intro to their coverage.

The virus has transformed, and continues to transform, so many aspects of our lives. And as people battle for their lives and ICUs reach capacity, I’m stunned. Stunned how mask wearing has become politicized. Stunned that with whole industries shattered and millions forced out of work, we’re told it’s simply time to ‘Try Something New.’ Stunned that some people so brazenly and selfishly put others at risk by flagrantly disrespecting public health guidance. [Read more…] about The Fix: Gratitude

Filed Under: Writing Life Tagged With: COVID-19, gratitude, hope, live your best life, positivity

2 Things You Can’t Take Away from Me…

June 17, 2020 by Marcus Leave a Comment

There is a lot happening in the world that inspires, especially how, in different communities across the globe, we’ve come together to support each other during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are also things that cause us to pause and show the worst of man’s inhumanity to man, and, consequently, sends people marching into the streets to demand change. George Floyd’s death reflects the latter. Enter hope… [Read more…] about 2 Things You Can’t Take Away from Me…

Filed Under: Writing Life Tagged With: COVID-19, gratitude, hope, kindness, love

Take Positions for Takeoff – Part III: The Art of Patience

May 13, 2020 by Marcus Leave a Comment

This is the third and final installment in the Take Positions for Takeoff series. As a reminder, in Part I: From Chaos to Possibility, I wrote about the initial impact of COVID-19 on my life. Then in Part II: Be Ready for Anything, I shared some of my experiences as a flight attendant. Now, let’s talk about the biggest takeaway from my time in the aviation industry: patience.

Patience as Virtue

patienceThey say patience is a virtue. Maybe that’s true. And I often thought of myself as a patient person … until I became a flight attendant. At 38,000 ft, in a pressurized cabin, and when the only thing on offer is recycled air … human behaviour changes dramatically. Maybe the frontal lobe suffers some form of damage. I don’t really know. Or maybe it’s the stress of air travel and passengers trying to figure out all the different rules and restrictions that vary from one airline to another, from one country to another. Whatever the reason, it’s an opportunity to see people at their best and — unfortunately, and growing more frequently — at their worst. [Read more…] about Take Positions for Takeoff – Part III: The Art of Patience

Filed Under: Writing Life Tagged With: COVID-19, do what you love, don't give up, hope, live your best life, patience, writing life

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