A Celebration of Humanity

It’s safe to say that 2020 was a year unlike any other. It included twist after twist and turn after turn, and for many of us, those detours often resulted in challenges, hardships and unprecedented circumstances. Yes, whichever way you look at it, 2020 was...different. 

However, despite each unexpected event that 2020 presented, it was a year that showcased the sheer strength, beauty and resilience of humanity. In despair, we found light. In darkness, we found hope. In brokenessness, we found strength. Among all the hurdles 2020 brought, if there is one good thing that came from it, it is certainly the magnificent display of mankind’s brilliance that radiated across the world in lives both near and far.

As this new year dawns, filled with expectation for better days and a deep desire to redeem the joy that felt lost in 2020, let us hold on to the humanity that kept us united, the kindness that kept us going, and the love that got us through. And as you step into 2021 in anticipation of all that lies ahead, remember that whoever you are, wherever you are from and however life may look for you right now:

You're someone too.

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Can you believe it’s January again? To me New Years Day 2020 feels like it happened no more than a minute ago! Isn’t it crazy how quickly time flies?

I suppose for many of us, this year has been - well - it’s been an interesting one. You don’t need me to tell you that it certainly didn’t pan out in the way that anyone expected. But, I must say, while this year has no doubt had its fair share of difficult moments, it certainly did teach me a lot. And it made me think a lot about a simple, seven letter word: Someone.

As put by the Oxford Dictionary, the word 'someone' is defined as:

A person of importance or authority.

If you’ve been following us recently you’ve probably seen one or two things about something called STRANGERS, MADE SOMEONE. These three words were the result of us, OutsideIn - the clothing brand with a cause , applying that definition to everyone. Yes - everyone. To the outsiders, the outcasts, the misfits, the mavericks - anyone who society would very quickly label as a stranger. Admittedly, people that I too would be tempted to label as a stranger. You see, it’s so easy to stick this word onto the people we pass each and every day. But, what if we did the opposite? What if instead of throwing around the word 'stranger' as quickly and easily as we can so often do, we decided to replace that with 'someone'? A person of importance. A person of authority. A person… Just like you, just like me.

In the midst of a year of isolation - so much isolation - and in the face of great disconnect, the word 'someone' means so much more than many of us may realise. I think for a lot of us, this year has made it somewhat difficult to feel the sense of importance explained by the definition above. Let’s face it, a Zoom call isn’t really the same as hanging out, and elbow bumps don’t really feel the same as a hug, and let’s not forget, staying at home doesn’t really make you feel that great (even if you’re an extreme introvert like me!). I guess one of the key things 2020 has taught me is that, like most people, I long to feel like a someone.

One of the most incredible things I think anyone can experience is the joy that comes with the feeling of being seen. Not just looked or glanced at, but really truly seen. Seen for all your good sides, your bad sides, your fears, failures, flaws and all, for your greatest talents and your wildest dreams, and above all, seen despite all of these things.

Being seen for all that you are, all that you’ve done, and all that makes you so uniquely you is both freeing and frightening. You see, I think we live in a world where we have built our guards up so high that many of us never get a chance to enjoy this freedom. Instead we fear that vulnerability will take from us the one thing we all work and fight so hard for: to be someone.

But you see, that’s just the thing. You don’t need to seek or stress or strive to be someone. You are already someone. From the moment you breathed your first breath and through each step of your life along the way that’s brought you to here and now; you are someone. Every bit of worth, value and recognition that bubbles inside of this word is yours. Yours to live in every day, yours to hold close and to shout loud, yours to savour, yours to hold, yours forever. As you begin to believe that this word is yours - that you are someone - you may find that those walls don’t need to stay up so high. And as you let down the walls that hide the true you, you can help others do the same.

With twelve fresh, new and exciting months on the horizon, I wonder how many opportunities we might each be able to take a hold of to make those around us feel like they are someone?

I absolutely love this quote from John Wesley that says: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” One of the very special things I’ve learnt from OutsideIn is that doing good is oh so simple, and that making a person feel like they’re someone is even more so. Whether it’s learning a name, engaging in a conversation, holding a door, buying a coffee, sending a text, or even sharing a smile (!), all these little things make a big difference.

Perhaps it should be a New Year’s Resolution that we actually stick to - to make people feel like they matter. After everything 2020 gave us, I think we need it. I think humanity needs it. As January kicks off and we think on our goals, our dreams and our hopes for 2021, I’d love to encourage you to include making the stranger someone in there. I’d love to challenge us all to start looking at, not past the people around us. I wonder how much we could change, how many people we could uplift and how many someones we could remind of their worth.

And before you go, before you take on this new year with excitement and expectation, I want to remind you one last time that you are someone too. I may not know your name or your story, and you may not know mine. But what I do know is that the one thing you and I have in common is our humanity. And what a beautiful thing that is!

So, from one human to another, I hope you go into this year knowing how much you mean. And as this year unfolds - however that may be - I hope that you continue to see your worth, that you continue to discover the things that make you so beautifully unique, and I hope that you never forget just how valuable you are. Regardless of any struggles that come your way, despite any difficulties that knock on your door and no matter how life plays out for you this year, take a hold of the word 'someone' and let it influence every part of your life. Let it blossom, let it grow, let it fill your life and the lives of those around you. Let this word define who you are: important. No matter what society says to you, no matter how you feel on your bad days - you, yes you, are so very important.

Do not forget that YOU are someone.

So, 2021 here we come - not the strangers, but the someones. 

Happy New Year, all!

Alexia