2020 was has been a tough and challenging year for everyone so I put together some lessons from 2020 that I found helpful.
In 2020 I lost a hero in Kobe Bryant, a close friend and my way of life.
Countless people lost much more, and I can’t even pretend to imagine what that felt like.
I don’t know what I would have done without meditation, photography and my close friends this year. Like everyone I had my ups and downs and here are some lessons I learned this year:
Staying present is important
Tomorrow isn’t promised: A stark and cruel reminder that has plagued 2020. Which is why it’s been crucial to stay in the moment with an eye towards the future. The concept of staying present often gets misinterpreted to mean YOLO (you only live once). YOLO quite literally suggests one should live life lushly and partake in every pleasure because tomorrow isn’t promised.
Being present is different. It means accepting the reality of the present with an eye towards the future. Some grounding methods to stay present include: walking, meditating, staying active and enjoying the smallest pleasures.
Comparison is the thief of joy
I’ve always been a man of humble needs but this year had me looking over my shoulder at the bloke next to me more often than I’d like to admit. We all have at different times in our lives — with a constant stream of social media showing us what we don’t have and where we can’t go it’s hard to be content with who we are.
All these things we think we need (the nice house, the nice car, etc…) are ephemeral joys that lose their luster over time.
Keeping up with the Joneses is a never-ending of cycle of despair. Also, the Joneses are a miserable lot — who wants to be like them anyway 😉
Having an “off” switch is vital
For the first time since the inception of social media I turned off my streams intermittently throughout 2020. Not to to experiment but because I HAD to.
Man is not meant to know what everyone is doing at all times. The most memorable moments of 2020 for me were spent cozying up to a book and turning off all my devices
Daily meditation is a must
I’ve been an avid meditator for over a decade. One can be avid at meditating, right? Well anyways… you get it.
I am so grateful for this practice. It’s like I was training for 2020 since 2010 and now it’s a marathon that will carry on into 2021.
Anyways, rather than waxing poetic about the virtues of meditation check out my meditation blog.
You attract the energy you put out
We attract who we are and we project our qualities constantly.
It’s important to manifest and project good energy so we attract the same.
Attention is the new currency
What you give your attention to is what you concede control to.
At the start of the pandemic I was constantly glued to the TV screen monitoring the news. I found that I was becoming increasingly paranoid and focusing all my time on the morbid statistics and details of the pandemic.
Look… being informed is important but being over-informed is dangerous. The media has a way of controlling our attention and it’s a calculated formula the general population is unaware of.
The same applies to social media. Avert your eyes every now and then and live in the moment. It will do wonders for your mind.
Always have something to look forward to
Having things to look forward to made the monotony of lockdown more bearable. I had to really dig deep and get creative this year when it came to making future plans. Here are some things I am looking forward to in 2021.
Getting Vaccinated 💉
Seeing the Lakers play live at Staples Center. 🤞
Going to my favorite place: The Canadian Rockies ⛰️
7 Lessons From 2020. Also, Goodbye 2020
2020 was has been a tough and challenging year for everyone so I put together some lessons from 2020 that I found helpful.
In 2020 I lost a hero in Kobe Bryant, a close friend and my way of life.
Countless people lost much more, and I can’t even pretend to imagine what that felt like.
I don’t know what I would have done without meditation, photography and my close friends this year. Like everyone I had my ups and downs and here are some lessons I learned this year:
Staying present is important
Tomorrow isn’t promised: A stark and cruel reminder that has plagued 2020. Which is why it’s been crucial to stay in the moment with an eye towards the future. The concept of staying present often gets misinterpreted to mean YOLO (you only live once). YOLO quite literally suggests one should live life lushly and partake in every pleasure because tomorrow isn’t promised.
Being present is different. It means accepting the reality of the present with an eye towards the future. Some grounding methods to stay present include: walking, meditating, staying active and enjoying the smallest pleasures.
Comparison is the thief of joy
I’ve always been a man of humble needs but this year had me looking over my shoulder at the bloke next to me more often than I’d like to admit. We all have at different times in our lives — with a constant stream of social media showing us what we don’t have and where we can’t go it’s hard to be content with who we are.
All these things we think we need (the nice house, the nice car, etc…) are ephemeral joys that lose their luster over time.
Keeping up with the Joneses is a never-ending of cycle of despair. Also, the Joneses are a miserable lot — who wants to be like them anyway 😉
Having an “off” switch is vital
For the first time since the inception of social media I turned off my streams intermittently throughout 2020. Not to to experiment but because I HAD to.
Man is not meant to know what everyone is doing at all times. The most memorable moments of 2020 for me were spent cozying up to a book and turning off all my devices
Daily meditation is a must
I’ve been an avid meditator for over a decade. One can be avid at meditating, right? Well anyways… you get it.
I am so grateful for this practice. It’s like I was training for 2020 since 2010 and now it’s a marathon that will carry on into 2021.
Anyways, rather than waxing poetic about the virtues of meditation check out my meditation blog.
You attract the energy you put out
We attract who we are and we project our qualities constantly.
It’s important to manifest and project good energy so we attract the same.
Attention is the new currency
What you give your attention to is what you concede control to.
At the start of the pandemic I was constantly glued to the TV screen monitoring the news. I found that I was becoming increasingly paranoid and focusing all my time on the morbid statistics and details of the pandemic.
Look… being informed is important but being over-informed is dangerous. The media has a way of controlling our attention and it’s a calculated formula the general population is unaware of.
The same applies to social media. Avert your eyes every now and then and live in the moment. It will do wonders for your mind.
Always have something to look forward to
Having things to look forward to made the monotony of lockdown more bearable. I had to really dig deep and get creative this year when it came to making future plans. Here are some things I am looking forward to in 2021.
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