Well, I guess it’s
inevitable not to talk about the year, or rather, the past nine months. 2020
has undoubtedly been a very challenging year in all sense of the word. It’s
been a testing, trying, tiring year for everyone. It’s been a year of trials
and tribulations. I don’t think anyone escaped unscathed, I don’t think anyone
was spared or unaffected in some way. And while it’s all too easy to just focus
on the negatives, let’s instead look at the positives that we can draw from our
experiences these past few months. Yes, this may be one of the hardest years
for us, but it is also the greatest in terms of helping us learn how to:
- Be humble
- Be kind. Act, talk and think kindly. In fact, be overly kind
- Be mindful
- Be patient
- Empathise with others
- Eliminate toxic people
- Find who our real friends are
- Take care of our health
- Manage our effort, money and time wisely
- Focus on the things that matter.
I hope you haven’t been putting unnecessary pressure on yourself to learn a new skill, lose weight, run a half-marathon or become a ‘better’ person. Just getting through this shit is more than enough. Remove the junk from your mental diet by limiting time on social media, limiting time watching news and instead investing that time into things that make you feel good. Prioritise your mental health. If taking care of yourself means being a little more selfish, taking a mental health day or even letting someone down, then please let someone down. Your self-love must always be stronger than your desire to be loved by others. Set clear boundaries in work, life and your relationships. The most important form of self-care you can practise is unapologetically protecting your boundaries. Contrast your life in the right direction. If you focus on the life you’ve lost, you’ll soon find misery. If you focus on the life you have, you’ll soon find happiness. Remember that all of life’s seasons are temporary. Your brightest moments are temporary so enjoy them while the sun is shining. Your darkest moments are also temporary, so never give up when it’s raining. Remember, this too shall pass.
So even if you haven’t learnt a new skill, mastered a new language or achieved
your resolutions and goals, if you have even managed to implement some of what
I mentioned in the preceding paragraph, then 2020 won’t be in vain and won’t be
for nothing. If we can find something to learn even in adversity and
challenging times, it’s not all lost, is it? The truth is that bad experiences
and bad people often teach us more than good times and good people. The most
toxic unpleasant people in our lives end up making us kinder, wiser and more
empathetic. The hardest times make us stronger, smarter and better prepared for
tomorrow.
You should be proud of everything you’ve had to overcome this year. The pain,
loss, self-doubt, fights, mental health struggles, and many sleepless nights
where you didn’t know if you could make it. You’ve made it here. And you will
make it through. Keep going. Be proud of yourself! And guess what? 2021 might
even be harder so brace yourselves. Hey, we made it through 2020 (almost).
InsyaAllah we’ll make it. Be patient. Persevere. Pray to God.
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