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In the world of finance, the word annualize means to calculate a short-term rate (of interest or return) into a year-long rate. This is beneficial in accounting for any large (financial) spikes or dips so that, overall, finances/income/interest etc. can be measured against a whole year’s worth of activity.
Given that 2022 was another somewhat volatile and challenging year, I will propose that it, too, should be annualized. To determine 2022’s rate of return, I offer a summary below of what was good against what was bad…
What was good? For me, four primary categories stand out in terms of the positive advancements made in 2022: The first was in transportation and specifically, space travel. 2022 saw the discovery of 5,235 exoplanets and renewed zeal for traveling to the moon with the successful launch of the Artemis Program…
The second category was in global health. In 2022, the number of COVID-19 vaccinations surpassed 1 billion, and most places began to feel like we were living in a post-pandemic world. Moderna began trials of its first HIV vaccine and doctors recognized and promoted the positive health benefits offered by exploring nature and began distributing memberships to National parks…
The third was in climate awareness. There was a global concern for and discussion of renewable energy sources. Ten countries unified to protect marine ecosystems resulting in a significant gain in the number of humpback whales. The (Steve) Irwin family celebrated the milestone of saving more than 90,000 animals at the Australia Zoo…
The fourth category is in human investment. There was ACTUAL bipartisan legislature for passing the “No Surprises Act”. Canada officially banned Conversion Therapy. Maya Angelou became the first Black woman featured on a U.S. quarter. Numerous organizations and non-profits raised record numbers of dollars for aid for people in crisis or need. Women became heroes in Iran. And then there was the unwavering steadfastness of Volodymer Zelensky and the Ukrainians.
What was bad? Unfortunately, within these categories, 2022 also saw some very negative things. The USA faced challenges to Constitutional rights with a continued escalated political divide. Worldwide, there was an escalation of violence and terrorism. Some of these were major, such as Russia’s invasion of and war on Ukraine and the frequency of gun violence and mass shootings. However, the escalation of violent behavior trickled down across humanity as Will Smith spontaneously slapped comedian Chris Rock during the Oscars. There was also economic uncertainty and massive worldwide supply chain challenges. These caused escalating prices for EVERYTHING! Europe faced an energy crisis, and the environment began to show its fractures through earthquakes, tsunamis and severe weather. Water levels (the Colorado River) depleted to dangerously low levels, impacting agriculture from North to South America. And then there was the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
In annualizing these events overall, however, I consider that 2022, although tumultuous, resulted in a positive rate of return as ultimately, MORE people did MORE good for MORE people.
Net Gain! Net Gain!
Kathy Naumann, possessor of NATURALLY curly hair and the understanding that you can’t control everything!
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