3 Lessons I learned in 2020

2020. What a year it has been. I think it’s safe to say that none of us expected the pure chaos that 2020 was - I know I didn’t. While there is no doubt that 2020 was a challenging year for everyone - I think that 2020 taught us some valuable lessons. So here are the top 3 lessons I learned in 2020.

Do not take anything for granted.

Now this lesson is one I’ve learned in years past but was reaffirmed in 2020. Don’t. Take. Anything. For. Granted. For those of you who know me personally, you’d know what a shitstorm my health was from mid-2017 - the end of 2019. For those of you who don’t, I massively struggled with my physical and mental health for a few years, and there were a lot of moments I got to experience this year that I didn’t think I’d be able to (turning 23 and graduating college mainly). I honestly didn’t see how lucky I was until 2020. My health was the best in years, and I can see how often I took my health for granted before the health shitstorm I went through. Usually, you don’t understand/see how good things are for you until a) the good thing(s) are gone or b) you’ve come out of something hard. Coming out of my chronic illness journey and watching some of my acquaintances in the CI community go through similar things to me has been really eye-opening. I can see how my friends - on the outside - saw me. And it’s a beautiful but heartbreaking thing. Beautiful because I’m on the other side now, and heartbreaking because I hate seeing people go through what I did. It was very challenging to realise that my health before I got sick was so much better than when I was going through it. And I’ve learned to count all my blessings of being in much better health in 2020.

Appreciate the little things in life.

When everything going on externally is very negative and chaotic, you need to make your inner world more calm and positive. And a massive part of that for me is learning to appreciate the little things in life. Something as little as the taste of my coffee every morning or the sounds of the rain falling at night can make a world of difference. Sometimes I’ll have these random thoughts that make me laugh or smile. It’s the little things in life that make me happy.

I’m better off alone.

Because of the stay-at-home order and having to leave my dorm at Uni, I’ve had to become very well acquainted with a little group I like to call - me, myself and I. In learning about myself in 2020, I’ve realised that I am better off alone. That’s not to say that I don’t need friends - I definitely do - but I don’t need to be around people to feel happy. I’ve felt lonelier when living on campus, around people but not interacting with them - than I was primarily alone all year. I’ve also learned that I don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy or to feel whole/complete. I guess you could say that even though my personality can be very extroverted. Internally, I’m a huge introvert.

 This past year, I’ve really come into myself and am very content with my “lone wolf” status. I am just as happy going to the movies or shopping alone as I would be if I brought 1-2 friends. Having a small circle of friends over a larger circle of primary acquaintances is a much better choice.

I am welcoming 2021 very cautiously. I have no clue what this year has in store for us, and we’ll all be waiting for the Universe to share that. Let’s not forget the most essential things from 2020.

Wear a mask.

Stay at home.

Maintain 6 feet apart.

Don’t be an asshat.

Sending you all the light and love in this world. Happy New Year!