In this week’s message, I’m asking you to reflect on 2021 and identify how truly #DOPE the year was. I’m asking you to “Find The Extraordinary Out Of The Ordinary.”

Webster defines extraordinary as going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary—going above and beyond what is expected. Ordinary is said to be something with no unique or distinctive features/ normal, expected in the usual order of events. Contrary to how Webster defines ordinary, I find it so powerful and, quite frankly, extraordinary. 

Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary is a way to practice gratitude and be present in a less emotive way. It is like going on a quest to find a hidden treasure. It is like slicing lemons, questioning if the juice is worth the squeeze as you make the perfect glass of lemonade with your own hands. It means taking what you are experiencing and finding something remarkable about it.

Let’s be honest, 2021 has been an interesting year. It was a shock to the world to see the United States Capitol under attack. The gutwrenching news disrupted the hearts and minds of the American People. The vicious outbreak of COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the world with no remorse.  Racial tension saturated the news and mother nature, hitting record numbers in natural disasters. All eyes were on the Supply Chain Industry as they find alternative ways to sustain a lockdown society.  

Michael L. Reid Jr. | Speaker & Life Coach

Although this year seems especially hard, there are silver linings. The quarantine of 2020 birthed creativity and innovations of the future. It also lead to the stress of staying at home with family. No one could have ever predicted that dirty diapers, cleaning dishes, and naps we yearned for restless toddlers to have, gave us the gift of quality time. Time to model discipline, instill values, and speak life into your family. 

From the corners of our homes, people became activists to uphold our constitution. Focused on changes for the better, Americans exercised their right to vote and provoke change. From Space X being nothing but a dream, to now it’s the way of the future.

We typically spend time daydreaming about the mountaintop experiences of life; instead of finding the extraordinary. Yearning to make more money, have a successful career, find true love, be happy, have freedom beyond your wildest dreams, or achieve something significant and enduring. Meanwhile, your daily life may look nothing like your dreams. You drudge through the daily routines of work and home life. You grind through another workday, survive another harrowing commute, pay another bill, and do another house chore.

The more time you spend in the realm of the extraordinary, the more ordinary it becomes. People with lives that you might consider extraordinary are not immune to struggle; they view it differently—never becoming complacent. They find beauty in every struggle—the lesson in every loss.  George Wills said it best, “It is extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is.”

Extraordinary is all around us, all the time. We’re blind to it because we don’t expect to find hidden gems in the ordinary everyday experiences of our lives. Again, I challenge you to reflect on the EXTRAordinary things that happen during 2021 and prepare your vision for 2022.

Cheers!