2020 taught us a great lesson that “Life is uncertain” by the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak. It changed the global economy and our small career path. But it is also our opportunity to live more slowly and to contemplate many life lessons.
On the last day of the year, I summarize my own lessons in 2020. I share it because maybe it inspires some little inspiration in you.
1. Stop forcing yourself into your S.M.A.R.T goals rigidly
I have been a principle person in setting goals: from medium-term goals (3 years, 5 years) to short-term goals (6 months, 1 year). I’m tired of forcing myself into goals that I’m not sure if it’s really what I want or it’s just a social success pattern.
I quit my job at a company that has a friendly working environment and many growth opportunities. At that time, I asked myself: “Huong,
At that time, I just asked myself: “Hey, Huong, if you continue to pursue your goal and you reach it in two years, will you be happy?”. My answer is: “No!”. I quit my job, and I don’t have any plans. Simply, I picked up my backpack and go until my money would run out of my wallet.
I went with the flow indefinitely throughout 2020. But that uncertainty has led me to a life where I find my true self.
This year, I don’t have any goals to achieve in 2021. I just keep a bucket list – things I want to do in my life without any timelines. Know what you want, chase it, at your own pace, at rest, let the universe guide you.
2. “When you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
I’ve always believed in the law of attraction. But in 2020, my belief is much greater because many events that happen, many people I meet, are all at the right time.
There are good things, bad things, but it all happened because I had planted a notion about it in my mind. Some events happening in 2020 were ideas I had when I was a child. I thought I forgot those ideas.
And one of the exciting things I learned is that when I intentionally plant a notion and try to control it, it never happens. But then, when I no longer try to control it, I keep the idea purest, it comes at the moment I most unexpectedly.
3. Accept that we cannot see the “overview picture”
If I had to choose one word to say about my 2020, it would be Ho’oponopono. Ho’oponopono is associated with 4 laws: the law of attraction, the law of acceptance, the law of gratitude, the law of forgiveness. It helped me a lot in my journey of healing past hurts and opened my spiritual awakening way.
Ho’oponopono helps me understand that we cannot see an overview picture. We can not see what’s happening on the edge of the “picture of life” we are drawing every day. We cannot go back in time to change the past. Accepting it helps me to forgive myself and the hurts in my past.
If you are interested in what Ho’oponopono is, you can learn through these two books:
Ho’oponopono: The Ancient Hawaiian Practice of Gratitude and Forgiveness
At Zero: The Final Secrets to “Zero Limits” The Quest for Miracles Through Ho’oponopono
4.Past experiences are only past experiences
Ho’oponopono also taught me that we cannot use our past experiences to judge whether our present experience is good or bad. Past experiences are only past experiences.
I lost my chances in the present because past hurts haunt me. When I see any hint of past breaks, I’m like a ruffled hedgehog in defense. But I do not understand that the stories are different. The people in the present are not people in the past. I also am no longer me of the past. If the story happened again, I also faced it and acted differently.
5. Even if we love someone with all our heart, it does not mean we have to be together
Article five, but actually what I write in the end. My 2020 year was marked by the arrival of a person when I was most unexpected. He is the most special person to me. Not because of something big, fascinating, romantic, but just that I felt a deep connection behind our masks when I was with him. For the first time in my life, I believed in the “destiny” word. But, I choose to leave him, to learn to love myself first.
I believe that if we are Twin Flame, Soulmate, Destiny, no matter how far our reason pushes us, the universe will still lead us back together.
If not, why not give us other opportunities. There are plenty more fish in the sea.
6. Don’t judge someone by their education level or by what you knew about them in the past
In 2020, I learned that it is impossible to use someone’s educational background in the past to judge who they are now and who they will be in the future. I meet people with less outstanding education, but they are very excellent in life. I admire and admire them.
There are my friends who I have not met for a few years.
They are entirely different now. I also am no longer myself in the past.
7. Sometimes it’s as simple as doing it in another way
This lesson is my mom’s success in interacting with me. Really, I’m incredibly stubborn. If someone tells me to do something their way, I’ll try to do the opposite.
My mother knew that the old methods didn’t work. This year, she changed her tactics. My mother didn’t impose anything on me, just told me a few very gentle words occasionally, then let me confide. Not only that, but my mother has also applied the tactic of “small rain lays great dust” with me successfully.
8. Love yourself before loving someone else
I was someone who never stopped looking for “love”. If I fall in love, I always prioritize them first.
In 2020, the first time I really stop and learn to love myself before loving someone else so much.
If you don’t love yourself, who can love you?
If someone loves you, let them love who you are.
9. Be persistent, sometimes the results don’t come right away
This Adventure of Youth blogging taught me perseverance. The results didn’t come immediately. After four months, my blog has a few traffic a day, both domestic and foreign, especially Organic Search traffic from Google, Coc Coc, Baidu. It’s a little warmth thing that keeps me motivated to develop this personal project.
10. Not everyone is a good person
In the past, I was the one who thought that everyone around me was a good person. Then 2020 slaps in my face a lot. It helps me to take a break, build stronger boundaries for myself. Of course, don’t be too defensive and lose good relationships, but learn to trust people less.
11. What doesn’t kill you, will make you stronger
12. “who hurt you?”, “my own expectations”
13. What you used to think was true about yourself, maybe one day you find something different
14. Try stopping thinking with your reason, letting your emotions calm down, and feeling your intuitive; you will find the answer
15. Live at the moment and cherish every moment of life
16. It’s okay to be not okay.
17. Love imperfections
18. A lot of great experiences are waiting for you ahead
The last thing is a message to yourself about the year 2021 – travel more, learn more, experience more, and listen more intuitively.
Wishing you a year 2021 with “enough”.
– Flav –
Courageous enough to step out of your comfort zone.
Persistent enough to be steadfast on your own path.
Generous enough to give love and be ready to accept love.
