Lockdown Lessons: Part One

This lockdown, for many of us, has been tougher than expected, and, I’m sure, has gone on for longer than any of us wanted. Honestly, I thought we would be able to get out of the house by May, which is laughable considering we are in the middle of July.

I’ve spent the last 4 months doing a variety of things – baking, painting, reading – and also things that I didn’t necessarily want to do, like cleaning and sweeping and using the washing machine (which I’m very adept at now, FYI). The thing I’ve done the most, though, is journaling. I started journaling about 3 years ago as advised by my therapist, and it has really helped me organize my thoughts, more so now since I feel like my brain has been on overdrive since March. Anxiety has been on an all-time high (it has definitely got better as time went by and I got used to being at home and not seeing my friends, who I miss dearly) and writing down my thoughts and feelings has really helped alleviate these difficult emotions.

I can be a very intense, deep person; I think a lot (often way more than necessary) and one deep thought leads to another deep thought and in about 10 minutes of thinking like this I start questioning my life, the universe and whether we actually exist or we are just imagining everything that has happened and is happening in the world around us. I have to admit it isn’t always fun, but it is quite fascinating.

So I decided I would list out some things that I had read/heard/been told/thought/remembered, and maybe they would be of interest to you (I mean, you’ve read the post so far so might as well finish reading it, y’all). Some of these are kind of obvious, so they could serve as a reminder to me and to you, but the others are kind of trippy and they could probably lead you to think deeper and be curious. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy this random list of statements/questions written in no particular order (although I do hope that these statements don’t lead you to have an existential crisis, those aren’t fun lol)

1. Knowledge is meant to be imparted.
2. Sometimes people may have the best intentions but still end up being toxic for you.
3. Time spent learning is never wasted.
4. If you live honestly today, tomorrow will be fine.
5. Challenge yourself to change yourself.
6. Value your past self. You are what you are today because of them.
7. In a way, one does end up settling, sure, because there will always be better even if you think you have the best. It is up to you when you stop striving for more. Obviously, there is nothing wrong with being happy with what you have. (This can apply to a number of things)
8. You don’t need validation from anyone. You are enough for you.
9. It is a privilege to turn old.
10. Always live with gratitude.
11. The power dynamic will always exist.
12. Once you turn fear and anxiety from enemy to ally, you can do anything you want.
13. We can recognise our privilege and still be allowed to feel bad about things. There will always be someone who has it worse, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to grieve things that bother you. (example – not being able to go outside. I fully acknowledge that the fact that we have a roof over our heads and live fairly comfortably during these trying times is a huge privilege, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t mourn for not being able to go out of the house or meet our friends and family).
14. What is a soulmate? Who defines what a soulmate should be like? Can someone who isn’t your significant other be your soulmate? Can you have more than one soulmate?
15. Empower yourself.
16. Never take things or people for granted.
17. I feel like I carry a lot of hurt and pain in my heart. We all do. Those who don’t, dare I say that they are lucky? Or they just haven’t experienced life?
18. You can love someone and still disagree with them.
19. Art has the power to keep you going.
20. One must have a curiosity to know more but at the same time be at peace with the fact that you will never know everything about yourself, people and the world, and still maintain that curiosity.
21. It doesn’t matter how many times you fall. It matters how many times you get back up.
22. What others think of you is none of your business.
23. Humans are so beautifully complex. But sometimes these complexities can destroy you.
24. Never let others dictate your perception of yourself.
25. The world doesn’t change, but the way you see it can.

This was my first post after almost 2 years of not writing. I don’t know how regular I will be with my posts, but it felt good to write after so long. I’m slightly rusty, but I hope I can get into the right zone soon. Thank you for being here.

Stay tuned for part two!

PS: Stay home and wear a mask if you need to go out for essential needs. This virus is gonna be here a long time.