Dear Past Self; 2020
I find reflecting on the past year reassuring based on what I've learnt, what I now know, and what challenged me. Self-reflection is the key to self-awareness. It allows us to look at our thoughts, feeling, emotions and actions. It helps us gain more understanding on what energy does and doesn't serve us.
I chose these pictures as an illustration of the year I had imagined. My year was going to be one filled with travel and adventure, meeting new people, and experiencing life to the fullest. 2020 was one of the hardest years for me mentally but I look back on that year and am able to see how much I learnt and took away from it.
Write a letter to your past self about this; Pre pandemic
Dear past self,
Wow, what an impactful and life changing year 2020 will be. You will not believe what you’re about to experience and how your going to handle it. There will be some ups and a lot of downs. You will fight many emotions and learn so much about yourself, mostly in the comfort of your own home. Remember that virus that was found in china that your friend mentioned back in the beginning of December? You were worrying about it but decided to shake it off like it was nothing. The Coronavirus will result in a total lockdown. Restaurants, gyms, shopping centres and other nonessential businesses will close. You’ll spend most of the year worrying for your family and friends health. Wearing a mask will be the new norm and you won’t be able to socialise with friends. However, the year doesn’t start off so bad. You will build connections and have a lot of fun hanging out with new people. Right before July holidays things will take a turn. Holidays will extend but with travel restrictions and so much fear and uncertainty, you won’t want to go anywhere or do anything. If you do decide to go anywhere you’ll have to wear a mask and keep a 1.5m distance from others. People will test for Covid-19 each day and you’ll get regular news updates of how many people test positive and how many people have passed away. Streets will become empty, sports will be postponed and life as you know it will turn upside down. Once the year ends, there won’t be much to do. You will paint, bake and start new projects at home. You’ll get to see friends in a safe way and you’ll appreciate that time spent together more than ever. You will witness news reports of police brutality and racism over in America. This will open your eyes to the issues that truely matter in this world. Of all the heartache and difficult lessons to come, 2020 will be a year of self-discovery; you will start to truly love yourself and feel confident in your own body. You will start to pay more attention to what you like and don't like, what interests you, and what drains your energy. You'll chase after the things you want from life, rather than what others want. It won't be easy. You'll figure out that you overthink a lot, and that you care too much about what others think of you. Even as I write to you now, you’re still working on drowning out the self-doubt. It will be hard. You'll cry when you're feeling frustrated or anxious. You'll break down when you're feeling insecure or ashamed. There will be days when you want to curl up in a ball and simply disappear. But, you'll try your best. And you will pull through. I promise. On the darkest days, remember that life is still worth living and that the future is still one of hope. I'm writing this, so you're still here in the world, alive and healthy. Your family is OK. Your friends are OK. Despite all of the hardships, you will survive 2020.
Image via My Visual Currency
