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29 Mar, 2024
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What 2020 Taught Me (Part 2)

What 2020 Taught Me (Part 2)- Positive Reflection Of The Week

20 Things 2020 Taught Me… – by Alia Datoo

Continuing from where we left off last week, here are the rest of the lessons 2020 taught me. ..

Lesson 11: Declutter – With incomes being slashed, 2020 taught me how to be more with less. I realized how little I actually needed to live a happy life, and it made me eager to get rid of things I did not really need. Decluttering is healthy, not just with respect to things but also let go of grudges, past pain, and other negative emotions that take up unnecessary space in our life.

Lesson 12: Having Hobbies – Your life’s purpose doesn’t have to be fulfilled by your day job. It can be fulfilled through hobbies, passions, and small things that you do regularly simply because they make you happy. In 2020, I realized how good hobbies are for you! They help you recharge, increase your confidence-levels, and help you strike a balance between work and other areas of your life. During the pandemic, I was able to make more time for reading, and it, indeed, was a better way for me to spend my time than mindlessly scrolling through my social media feed or binge-watching shows on streaming platforms.

Lesson 13: It’s Okay To Take A Few Steps Backwards – Life is like a bow and arrow. In order to strike a target, you need to pull the bow backwards first before the arrow can travel the distance towards the target. 2020 meant a lot of things had to be put on the backburner. But that also meant looking at opportunities within our reach to grow and broaden our horizons. Life does not always have to be linear. Every setback can be treated as an opportunity to explore a different phase of life. Learn to go with the flow.

Lesson 14: Having To Say ‘No’ Without Feeling Guilty – With a lot of time on my hands. I was able to delve deeper into my healing and coaching practice. However, I quickly found myself being overwhelmed with “free” requests. Covid-19 helped me learn to say No and putting my needs first. This year, I learnt to draw boundaries, not just with clients, but friends and family too, without feeling scared of losing them or hurting them. 2020 has made me realize that saying ‘no’ is not that big a deal.

Lesson 15: Understand Your Strengths – Sometimes all it takes is absolute courage and belief in yourself to change your entire life. You have the ability to change anything about your life that you aren’t happy with – the only thing that ever stops us is fear. No one is perfect but everyone has certain things they do really well. Focus on those and hone those skills. Playing to one’s strengths always leads to success.

Lesson 16: Learning Is A Lifelong Process – Before the pandemic, I kept putting off getting my certifications as a Life Coach. I also never considered formalizing my metaphysical learnings, because, I saw no point. This pandemic, I  went back to my certifications and also managed to complete my Masters and embark on my PhD as a Metaphysical Life Coach. Online learning platforms made me aware of how learning is ongoing, and how one should always seek out new courses for personal development.

Lesson 17: Never Compromise Your Values – You are worth the same amount of time, love and energy that you give to everyone else. Your values are what define you. And when you are faced with challenging times, sometimes you may be tempted to compromise on your values. Don’t! No matter what, stick to your authentic self and never compromise on your core values.

Lesson 18: Love Thy Neighbour – The most important relationship you’ll ever have is the one you have with yourself, for it is from this relationship that all your other relationships stem. Do you treat yourself with kindness and compassion? Are you kind and considerate? Are you Generous? 2020 forced many of us to inculcate these values. Several of my neighbours lost their jobs and had to close down their businesses, but because of such qualities that we are taught, we always ensured that we stood by them.

Lesson 19: You Will Receive What You Give – Newton’s third law of motion is not restricted to the physics textbook alone. There are consequences for every word you say, every decision you make, every way you behave. It is important to hold oneself accountable and responsible for one’s words and actions.

Lesson 20: Appreciate Where You Are Right Now – Even if things don’t make sense to you right now, one day you’ll look back and see exactly why things had to happen the way they did. The key to happiness lies in loving that part of you that is messy, chaotic, flawed, and filled with imperfection. This is what makes you human. Loving myself and appreciating where I am at the present moment is the most important lesson that 2020 taught me. It is common to feel insecure and fearful because of our shortcomings, especially in unprecedented times like the Pandemic. This year, I realized that I need to stop being overly critical of myself. Life is beautiful; as am I. Loving oneself is the first step towards loving another being. Be kind to yourself always.

What did 2020 teach you?

2020 taught meAlia Datoo, Transformational Holistic Energy Coach