2020, the year we thought the world ends

When after all the hype and predictions of 2012 were in vain, the world believed that 2020 would be ‘The End‘. Certainly this year has been a year of fatigue, exhaustion, fear, uncertainty. Saying 2020 has been a mess would be a gross understatement. But it was definitely not the end. Like a few other predictions says, this is just the beginning of the end.

Can’t deny… 2020 has indeed been an eventful year. The entire world hit the pause button due to the pandemic, killing nearly 2 million people. Australia saw large bushfires, causing colossal destructions, that killed 500 million animals. U.S, India along with Japan cracked down on the Chinese apps. The supreme court of India refused to stay the implementation of the CAA (Citizen amendment Act) and has enforced the act in the country. Thus, amending the existing constitution of the country, 71 years after independence. And the list could on and on.

The pandemic hitting us hard

It’s been hard to see the silver lining this year. But as the saying goes, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.’ We saw numerous health workers, police men putting in the hard shift to contain the pandemic. The sheer pace with which we have vaccine (albeit a “not so confident” version) for a disease which was not prevalent just over a year back is a marvel in itself. Even the ever unsympathetic corporate behemoths took pandemic in their stride and offered moral, economic support to its employees. The “New norm” is well and truly established with work from home set to remain irrespective of pandemic.

In fact, I would be thankful to Covid-19. The crisis has been like a big mirror in the face — it helped reveal the real us. It taught me the meaning of life and its’ purpose; and reminded me what I am, minus the hypocrisies.

Not just the pandemic, but a lot more record worth events has made 2020 a historical year. What happened this year will most likely stay in hearts for a long time. But heartbreaks are not the sole topic. 2020 taught us so much more about self-love, relationships and life. Let’s send the year 2020 a bouquet of gratitude for some precious lessons.

Lessons of the year

• Count your blessing: Cannot stress this enough. Having a house, 3 meals a day and a loving family are giant blessings we should be thankful for every day. COVID-19 has been hard on us, but even harder on those who have less than us. Counting our blessings and trying to help others in any way we can is what 2020 was and 2021 will be all about.
• Priority #1: Mental health: Human civilization has been passing through one of the most crucial phases when its existence has been challenged by the Covid-19, that has invaded several territories all over the world rapidly. Physically, the pandemic was harming, and mentally, it has been ruining us. Many companies even allowed their employees to take a day off if they “just weren’t feeling it”… and that is real progress.
• Some people are meant to be temporary: Not everyone entering your life stays in your life, and that’s what I learned in 2020. With lockdown in place, it became difficult for us to catch up with friends, family and colleagues. While some people are only friends when you see each other five times a week. 2020 has helped us to see it clearer. Some people are friends and some are just acquaintances. It’s ok if you don’t have a lot of friends. We have to let people go to and free up the space for someone that deserves it.
• Little things matter: Until pandemic, we never happened to realize the smallest things. From sipping a cup of tea with an acquaintance at work to exchanging smiles and chatters with your random gym mate – they were just small insignificant encounters, which we actually didn’t take any efforts for. But during the total lockdown, it made me realize how we always took such little things for granted. All we got to see was the four walls of our house. And if we were lucky enough, then maybe our parents, or roommates or siblings.
• Being alone doesn’t equal loneliness: When isolation became the new normal, tackling loneliness became a global subject. However, with technology making our lives easy, our friends and family are just a touch away. So, don’t worry, we are all in this together.
• Taking a break is being productive: The thing is, it’s not easy to stay productive forever, leave alone in a challenging and uncertain time like 2020. But coping with crisis isn’t supposed to be a competition. If pushing yourself didn’t get you what you want, why not slow down, take a break and recharge? It’s ok to come out of quarantine with some extra pounds or an unchecked to-do list. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to rest.

What does 2020 mean to you?

For better or worse, these 12 months have changed us. And now looking back we can see that we’ve learnt about health, resilience, community- the lessons that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. It has helped us slow down, to stand still and ultimately reach a balance in our lives. It has also given us time to ponder upon, reflect on and start valuing what really matters in life, without having to read any self-help book.

To put it short, in 2020, I’ve learned how to surrender with grace, whether I wanted to or not. What’s your story? Write to me in the comments or DM me on Instagram at @untamedmusing