My Biggest Lessons Learned in 2020

You have to admit, 2020 was like a major exam you studied so hard for, yet NOTHING you learned appeared on the examination papers!   You were stuck just winging it as best as you can because there was no opportunity for a do-over.

The best hours just rolled by, you’re looking at the clock and praying for the time to end, signaling it’s all over!  Who would have thought basic freedoms would be taken away for the sake of your health  Weddings canceled, travel plans canceled, job losses, lockdowns, what a transformation, to say the least.

The year 2020 forced us to also appreciate the intrinsic things in our daily lives and how much we took them for granted.  The time we never thought we had, was somehow found.  That time really gave me a reality check.  It allowed me to pay attention to what mattered the most in my life and what was trivial.  Boy did 2020  teach me some lessons.

• GRATITUDE

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We took so many things for granted, yet there was so much to be grateful for.  Living to see another day above ground, healthy, Covid-19 free.  Some people lost their jobs, loved ones, their businesses, we have to be grateful that we still have ours.

• TOMORROW IS NOT PROMISED

Over 1 million people have lost their lives in 2020 alone.  No one saw this coming.  Think of all the hopes, dreams, and achievements that these people were waiting for their tomorrow to accomplish and celebrate.  Life is too short to take today for granted.  No one knows when their day will come.  Live your best life and live it intentionally.  Tomorrow is not promised.

• IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN NEW THINGS

This pandemic has opened up so many avenues of learning and tapped into so many new passions that are unimaginable.  I was motivated to start my own blog, my own proofreading and copyediting business, even how to prepare great healthy meals. 

I was always focused on my 9-5 job as my main source of income.  I thought I’d wait for “the right time” to research what I can do about my passion for reading and writing.  Don’t wait for “that time” until it’s too late.  Take action NOW!

• OTHER PEOPLE’ S HAPPINESS IS NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Listen!  I cannot tell you how much I’ve set myself on fire to keep others warm!  I was always a people pleaser, I would go out of my way to ensure everyone’s happiness except mine.  It was exhausting.  Some people only engage with you based on how you make THEM feel. 

I’m here to listen, I’m that caring friend when they are going through their struggles, but when that time came where I was sinking and going through it emotionally and mentally, where were these happy people to throw me a lifeline?

But on the flip side, I have learned that my happiness was NOT their responsibility either.  Everyone had to isolate and keep minimal physical contact, this was applied to some friendships too.  Sorry.  (Not Sorry).  What’s wrong with putting yourself first for once and creating your own happiness?  I don’t think that it’s selfish but necessary on this journey of self-love. 

• CHANGE IS INEVITABLE

What a lesson!  I remember celebrating my birthday in early March 2020 with my friend Monique, we got all dressed up, cute outfits on deck, face beat to the Gods!  What mask?  Uber SHARED.  What was UberX? We dined downtown Toronto at Earl’s, the restaurant was packed. What was social distancing?  The food was great!  I got a complimentary cheesecake with a candle on top to make a wish. What was sanitizer?  Oh, the LIFE!

Then the very next week.  LOCKDOWN.  PANDEMIC.  We had to change the “normal” everyday things we do to adapt to keep us safe and alive.  Nevertheless, the changes from 2020 affected us in a grand way.  But change is constant.

While change is inevitable, and an always-to-be-expected condition we can’t change our circumstances or the current situations, but we can change how we think and feel about them.

What has 2020 taught you?  What life lessons have you learned?  Leave a comment and share! 

XOXO

“My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon”

MIZUTA MASAHIDE