14 Things I learned in 2020 ! - Issue #5
Here are 14 things I learned in 2020 ; Do Read & Share 😀
Hello, I’m Prashik and welcome to a “Prashik’s Newsletter. Each week I write something interesting about life, books, podcast, my learnings etc
14 Things I learned in 2020 📝
If we open our eyes and remain a little sensitive, then there are ample opportunities to learn new things.
Every situation, life shocks, great moments teach us something new.
Something which we can keep as a part of memory or we can ignore for the larger good.
I am writing this newsletter on the last day because this way I will write more authentically.
And I will focus on the only meaningful learning of 2020.
By the way, 2020 may have been the worst year for the entire world. I can not say so!
It does bring some hardship, but this unexpected year brings a kind of learning opportunities that are hard to fathom.
So, here are some of my learning from the year 2020. 👇
1. It's Not Reading but curiosity that is important! 🔍
This is one of the great insights I had this year! Earlier to this, I used to think more books I read, better it is.
But, when, looking it deeply and observing how the entire world has over-romanticized the idea of reading.
I realized “Reading” itself is not great and is not even the starting point of anything greater good.
We should focus, or try to nurture, an inherent curiosity that we possess in with us.
If you are curious about something, you will do anything and everything to fulfil that curiosity.
You may talk to people, take education, watch documentaries, travel, watch videos and you can also read!
So, now I do not have any target, like, I should read these many books this year or something like that.
I am planning to do multiple things to fulfil my curiosity for sure.
2. Spent 5 Months Alone: Learned Everything Changes With Respect To Time 🌿
I remember watching series Paatal Lok on 15 May when my friend went to his hometown to work from home.
From 15 May to Now, I am in the Pune, except now ( 1 Friend is with me) or one month in between when my friend visited Pune for some work.
But, otherwise, I was alone for almost 5 months.
Now, what’s so special about this.?
Actually nothing so much great if the conditions are normal outside.
But, this was not the case with this year. There was lockdown imposed, and the most I was going outside was to get vegetables.
So it was a bit wired feeling.
But this whole experience helps learn something which you can never know unless you go through such experience.
Remember certain things in life you only learn when you go through it no matter what.
If you do not have the experience, you don’t know it. It is as simple as that.
So I learn, my limits, observe those limits and remain calm.
Sometimes, there was a sudden feeling of aloneness, which was hard to grasp. But I stayed with it and learn everything vanishes eventually.
This was the real experience, that, nothing stays with " Happiness, sorrow or any other felling nothing stays for long" everything vanishes with respect time.
3. Vipassana Meditation: Awareness is critical for meditation 🧘
Yes, vipassana has become part of my life; I do mediate most of the time.
Sometimes I miss, but by and large, I do meditate.
I learned it does not discipline to meditate daily, but awareness which is critical for meditation.
You just remain aware, and a lot of things start happening.
4. Prioritize People Over Everything! 🧑🤝🧑
Yes, this is quite important. Something that I knew from my past but this year I materialized this idea to the fullest.
No matter what your professional plans are, No matter how busy you always prioritize people over everything.
5. Consistency is Really Important ✍️
This thing I can confess, I am not very good when it comes to doing something consistently.
I realized I plan many things but could not do execute these activities consistently.
Thats why, from last few months, I am focusing on a few things and then, doing those things consistently.
By the way, I am partially successful in being consistent.
I started two newsletters “ Futureomen” and “Prashik’s Newsletter” last month, and I am consistently shipping the newsletter for the previous 5 weeks!
I am feeling proud about this.
And, now on, I will keep this consistency intact.
6. Creating Valuable Relations Takes Time, Don’t Lose People For a Small Difference 🧑🤝🧑
Yes this, something a precious realization I had this year.
You know it’s tough to make any valuable relationship with anyone.
You put time, efforts and lot of energy to so that it works. But, then, due to any unforeseeable reason, things don’t work.
That doesn't mean we should end such relations with people.
Instead, what I realized, is we should look at the larger part, look at that, 90% great things that were part of this relation.
And those were the reason you respect the person in the first place.
Stick to that maintain the cordial relation with people for the larger part of your life.
7. Work, Work, Work 👨💼
Yes, it’s not necessarily true for everyone. But, I look at work from the creative perspective.
I am doing absolutely nothing, which is not creative.!
When I am saying "absolutly nothing", I really mean that.
From my job to anything which I do the outside job are creative things.
Even to get a job where I can explore creativity was a difficult task.
But, I pay the price :)
But, believe me, I am not the kind of guy who will wait till 6-8 months to visit some beaches to gain peace and happiness.
I want it daily! and that’s why, I first, choose a job which allows me to be creative.
I am working as, digital marketer, and I bet, you can’t have the best job than this, If you want to enjoy life :) and be creative!
So, for me, work is not working. It’s just creative pursuits.
I work a lot, and l love it.
8. Depression - What I Learned From It 😔
Hardly anyone knows, about this phase of my life.
Probably, I just shared this with 1-2 close friend of mine.
But, I was in depression for almost 5 -6 months, in the early months of this year.
And believe, me it’s as hard as you read or listen about this.
You seriously don’t want to wake up in the morning, and this feeling is so real.
The fear you feel, the disappointment, and the way you lose interest in life are the kind of emotions prevalent in any exprince of depression.
But, this is life, and we don’t have choices regarding what will come next.
I can write a book about this experience, but for now! Let’s summarise this in 1 simple learning that I gain from it.
“ Do not create attachment for anything” good, bad whatever!
Just don’t be attached to anything.
That’s one reason, I don’t consider I do have any good habits.
Even if something I enjoy, I can leave this that thing without hesitation as now I don't create any attachment.
9. Don’t read Spiritual Books: Practice Mediation Instead 📖
Avoid spiritual books/ discourse etc / Rather focus on practically doing relevant something / Meditation/ Introspection etc
This is an extended version of my experience of depression. While I was going through a phase of depression.
I realized, nothing spiritual I read till now is helping me in any possible way.
When life hits, every spiritual book I read goes for a toss! Nothing comes as a rescue.
That was when I realized there are specific areas of life, where being knowledgable make no sense!
But, instead, you should first-hand experiences these things.
It’s like, don’t just become knowledgable about different swimming technique without actually entering into the water.
Rather inter into the water, and start swimming!
So, now I meditate, or spend time with myself but don’t waste time reading spiritual books.
10. Uncertainty Is Important In Life 📝
This one is one of the fantastic realizations of this year.
The more certain you will try to make your life more tedious it will become.
And as days will pass you will not grow in any significant filed. You may grow professionally, but that's not everything, right?
However, little uncertainty in a life forced us to learn new things, causing us to explore different possibilities.
So, it’s really important that you have little uncertainty and pressure in life.
I am not advocating 100% uncertainty.
But, what, I don’t want 100% certain life either!
That will be just like death.
11. Plan For 10 Years & Have A Vision For Life 🏹
Don’t plan for next month or year! Plan for the next 10 year and have a vision for entire life.
This is one of the exciting realizations of this year.
Instead of focusing too much on where will, I go in the next 1 year; I should have a larger goal set about my life.
That is, where I will be after ten years and what vision I have for my entire life.
This, actually helps in going out the usual rat race.
12. Work Creatively 🎨
Job is extremely important as we are dedicating 1/4 of life productive time to this ( Don’t waste your time if you are not like what you are doing)
When I was working with one of the top companies ( As MBA college placement), I realized that I am going to give 1/4 of productive time to this job. ( If I continue )
And obviously, this is true for everyone.
But what I am learning from it? What other things I am learning or gaining apart from money?
And that was the realization.
Growth is multifaceted things. You don’t grow in one direction.
What if you are growing in your professional life, but your personal life is fucked up
13. Just Follow Your Path, However Slow It May Be 👣
This is based on my own experience. Often, we do something put efforts but couldn’t see the result, but things started to materialize over time.
This happened to me that's the reason now I believe in this process.
14. Don’t Use Smoking/Drinking As Escape 🚬
Now, this is again related to my experience of “depression” and the realization that attachment of any kind is worse.
While working in the sales, I used to get exhausted and that time smoking become part of life.
I used to smoke 6-8 cigarettes a day as I was always in the market.
But, at the start of this year! One typical day, I just decided not to smoke and drink now on.
And that’s it! I am no more Smoking or drinking.
Btw, to make it clear! I have no issue anyone Smoking or drinking!
But, what I don’t like, about this, is we use Smoking and drinking as a tool to escape from our day to day miseries.
And that kills the person character! One should face the boredom/ uselessness of life instead try to find escape in Smoking.
And yes, It was extremely easy for me because I am very concise and don’t attach to anything easily. So dropping something is not a big task for me!
So this is it!
You know, I am not good at writing 😀
But, I love everything which open creative possibilities and writing is one of those things.
Please let me know what you think about my learnings? Is there anything you disagree with? Just let me know.
( Just reply to this mail or post comment on substack)
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