Five Things That The Past Year Taught Me

We are towards the end of the second month of the year. I might have been rather early into introspecting about the past year. However, one cannot help those little grey cells from going into an overdrive, can, we? So I was ruminating about how the year almost flown by has been. There were a number of hits as well as misses. But mostly, there were hits. The events or experiences in isolation apart, I felt that there was common thread which ran through them. That was of having understood myself better and learning about life in general. The following things I realized, made my year, what it was – full of new connections, experiences, a bit of travel and so much more! 

Letting Go! 

As clichéd as it sounds, this is one thing has been one of the prominent narratives for me in the past year. Simply let go. Well, by this I don’t mean that you let go of your dreams, people you love or the likes. By this, I meant, let go of things we can’t control. Now, yes, it is easier said than done. Because when you really want something and it is not happening, it is almost impossible to not think about it. Ironically, that’s what exactly leads us away from whatever we want. This is especially true when things related to our desires are not in our hands. The best way to deal with it is to simply detach yourself from it – in a good way. If you can work towards it, then do that, but without obsessing about the fact that it is not working out. Just let go – move your focus and that will work like magic. Yes, it may take time, but it sure will work!

Calming Your Mind

Our daily lives are a cacophony of events and constant bombarding of information and a zillion of thoughts every millisecond.  My brain, is always in overdrive, and it is a herculean task to get it to calm down. A while back I started meditating. I had heard about its effects, but had not practiced it myself. After I did start meditating regularly, I realized that it actually works and how! It has made me more centered and patient. Yes, I am still a lot of work in progress, but I have started the journey. I have managed to (atleast 7 times out of 10) to not react immediately to things and even if I have to, I give it a thought and then try to respond, rather than reacting. I found this useful. Someone else might find playing violin or sitting at the beach relaxing. These are just a few ways to clear our minds and these can be different for different people!

Gratitude is the Key

One of the most important things the last couple of years actually have taught me is to be grateful for whatever I have and wherever I am in the current stage of my life. We take a lot of things for granted usually. Gratitude even about the smallest thing like being able to walk normally or having a phone to communicate, can seem a little too much or weird. But studies have proven that the feeling of gratitude leads to secretion of good chemicals in the brain and consequently the body and enables us to stay healthy. I found this to be a powerful tool to enhance the quality of our lives.

Focusing on Doing What Makes You Happy

This seems so simple but don’t we generally tend to overlook it? I was also doing the same. But gradually I figured out that that it is all you need to do! Everything else just falls in place! I know I know, sounds clichéd. When would you make a living then because when you have to make a living, you don’t get enough time to do what makes you happy. All said and done, this is vital to our being the best we can be, even when we are doing something we might not like, for instance our jobs. Sparing time to do what makes you happy every once in a while can do wonders!

And last but not the least is to just trust the process. I tend to over think and ensure that my brain gets twisted. Which is definitely not a good idea. Trust the universe and do what you have to. If you have good people around you, who understand you, who instill confidence in you and love you unconditionally, half the battle is won. The rest is all perseverance and luck!