2020.

Yes, I know it's 2021 already. Am I going to write about 2020 anyway? Yeah.

I meant to type this up earlier but then decided against it because I thought many people would disagree. However, isn't that what blogging is? A way to express your opinions, your thoughts, your ideas, and then leave the interpretation to the reader? Yes. That's exactly what it is. So here are my thoughts on 2020, specifically the lessons it taught me.

1) We are always alone.

This can be a bit contradicting because we are always consumed with media and people. But, 2020 has made me realize that no matter how many people surround us, no matter how many friends we make or followers we have on social media, we will ultimately always end up being alone. Our thoughts will always be alone with us, and sequentially we are the center of our separate universes. We come alone, and we go alone. That is life.

2) The people around you say a lot about you; there's really nothing you can do about that.

It is up to you how you wish to respond, but you can't control other people's actions and decisions. It will just exhaust you. We are the only people that know ourselves completely, yet we always worry about what others think or say about us. Why is that?

3) You don't need to feel obligated to deliver a response all the time.

This ties in with #2; you don't have to respond to people if you don't want to. You don't have to respond in order to just "be nice". If people are complaining that you don't reply to everything, don't reply to that comment either. You don't owe anything to them, and they don't own you. You need your personal space, and if they don't understand that, well then it sucks for them. Don't take time out of your routine just to reply to people who don't respect your boundaries. Keep that effort for those who care.

4) Never take anything or anyone you deem important, for granted.

Whatever you have, cherish it before it leaves. Remember that nothing in life is permanent, everything needs balance and most things leave us when we aren't ready. So, always be thankful for the interactions you have with your friends and family. 2020 taught me this the hard way.

5) Always envision yourself in the future.

Thinking about the past and remembering bits of it is never harmless, in fact, I encourage myself to reflect on my past once in a while because it keeps me grounded. However, constantly putting yourself in your past, regretting your mistakes and actions, and thinking about the same things over and over again can really hurt you. I find this tip to be the most important out of all the others. Not only because it develops us the most, but also because it can negatively affect us more than the others. Always think about what you wish to experience, what you wish to do, to work for. Use your past and your past experiences as your tools. Dig into that toolbelt often, but not so much that your hand gets stuck and you have to cut it off in the end. Experiences, emotions, people; think about how all of these things (and more) really affect you, but always continue to grow.

In many ways, 2020 was a necessary year. We should be glad that it taught us so many things. We were all very exposed to our thoughts during quarantine. When we live in a world where other people and other things take up more space in our heads and then have to suddenly listen to nothing but our own thoughts, it can be quite scary. I'm proud of you for making it out of 2020 in one piece.

Let me know if you agree (or disagree) with what I have shared above. If you have your own list, feel free to share it with me and we can ponder upon it together.

Here's to wishing 2020 a safe goodbye (yes, I know it's already February), and to opening up our hearts a little more in 2021. Cheers.

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