Rewind 2020: The Year Of Discovering & Rediscovering Passions & Connections

Here’s looking back at all that 2020 brought along.

At the beginning of 2020, I gave up my plan of starting my own business and was glad about it. After leaving a not-so-enjoyable job in October 2019, I had gotten awestruck with the idea of being a “business owner/founder” — it seemed fancy and it seemed like a plausible plan but I realized, very soon, that I neither had the resources nor the unrelenting passion (for that particular thing) needed to embark and stick to this long, long journey.

I also looked for a job in the wrong places and then gave up. Then found the right one unexpectedly! The almost-unending lockdown that began in March 2020 got me thinking too cautiously and as a result, I looked for something that was “secure” but that wouldn’t necessarily be interesting (for me). It didn’t work and by June, I stopped looking at all.

By July, the perfect opportunity came knocking. That was it! Suddenly, I had a job that I found deeply inspiring and which gave me the chance to work with people who were as passionate about learning and doing interesting things as I am.

I also worked-from-home for all of the last six months and thoroughly enjoyed myself! I realize that I might be one of the more lucky ones here and that many people have had to really struggle through the forced WFH setting but l̵a̵z̵y̵ introverts such as myself have never found staying at home difficult.

This year, I also went out of my comfort zone and facilitated learning circles and experiential workshops, and even some parts of strategy planning sessions. It didn’t always go well. I felt unready but I did it anyway.

In 2020, I also rediscovered my love for reading, writing, kitchen gardening, cooking (̵b̵y̵ ̵c̵o̵o̵k̵i̵n̵g̵ ̵I̵ ̵m̵e̵a̵n̵ ̵p̵a̵s̵t̵a̵ ̵s̵a̵l̵a̵d̵s̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵r̵u̵m̵ ̵&̵ ̵i̵c̵e̵ ̵c̵r̵e̵a̵m̵ ̵s̵l̵u̵s̵h̵i̵e̵s̵)̵, running, and Jagjit Singh. You see, introverts have too many excuses to stay at home.

And finally, in 2020, I discovered my sense of community — from reconnecting with family & cousins and finding my place in an online group of readers who have never met IRL, to becoming part of another online learning group, it has been the year that despite being an introvert, I felt a part of bigger communities.

P.S. I do understand that the world had to battle through a once-in-the-century pandemic — but don’t we all know that too well already?! This post is meant to look back at, and if I may, celebrate what the year is leaving behind. Yes, there were difficulties and yes, there was a lot of pain in the world in general, but that’s not what I am taking forward from 2020.