Lessons from 2020
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I don’t write about a year that passed by. But 2020 is different.
2020 has taken me back to my school days. Allow me to explain. The Life principles that applied during my school days were simple.
Here are those Principles :
- You are Sufficient :
Those were the days where a TV was not occupying any space in my life. So, there was no entertainment. You could listen to Radio. However, they had very few segments where they played songs. 70% of your time goes into being with yourself. I was comfortable being with myself all alone. I was not into reading books in my early childhood. I was not doing anything but felt very cozy with myself doing nothing.
As I started my career and joined the rat race, a sense of urgency got into the mind. There is always an urgency to do something right now and to use your time wisely. Earn More.
And then 2020 happened.
Sense prevailed over the sense of urgency.
2020 gave me a window of opportunity to practice what I used to do in childhood. I was happy being with myself. Sitting on my sofa and just gaping at a corner of my house seems much more interesting than going out and meeting people. It felt safer. I realized that the self inside me is more interesting, intriguing, and, sometimes, more entertaining than all the Netflix shows put together. Sometimes, I get flummoxed by the kind of thoughts I witnessed happening in my mind. It also gave me a deep sense of appreciation for my parents, as they never forced me to do anything. They allowed me to grow as I wished.
2. Living does not need so many things :
When I was growing up, my Parent’s earnings was just enough to live and not enough to dream. I grew up with a sense of contentment. I have never been dissatisfied with life. But things changed as I grew up and got into the rat race. The race to accumulate things started. A sense of pride prevailed over a sense of contentment.
And then 2020 happened.
I realized that a happy and contented life needs just a few things. So many dresses bought for many occasions are sleeping happily in the closet. When you meet people through zoom, it does not make a difference whether you are wearing a Prada or a Parda. People will see your face more than your dress. The best thing that you can wear during these times is a smile that costs nothing. I remember having lived most of my childhood with just a few dresses and not with so many options. In 2020, I bought two shirts but more masks.
3.Nothing in Life is Permanent, Be grateful
My Father and my mother drilled this lesson into my life. Nothing in life is permanent. Be grateful. This sense of gratefulness filled our life with abundance though we had very few material possessions. There was never a feeling of scarcity.
As I grew up and joined the rat race, the more items I possessed, the more I felt the scarcity.
And then 2020 happened.
It hit me hard and made me realize that life is filled with abundance when you feel grateful for what you have. Life took me back to my childhood days, where I was happy with the little number of possessions, home-cooked food, small fights with my elder brother, and the love of my parents. Life went full circle and took me back to those days. Now I feel happy to be alive. The rat race of possessions abruptly stopped, at least for the time being. All I need is home-cooked food, loads of love from my family, little fights once in a while, and time to read and write.
Life has come full circle. The Year 2020 has been a year that I am grateful for reminding me about the small pleasures in life.
2020 has been a great guru in providing the enlightenment that Simple Life can be a Happy Life.
As we enter 2021, I hope to continue this journey of gratefulness.
Big Thanks to each and everyone who has helped and supported me in so many ways in my journey. I pray to the almighty to make 2021 a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year to you all.
