21 Things I Learnt In 2021

2021 has truly been a remarkable year, and that is not just a cliché. It’s been a year dipped in known uncertainties and under a cloud of novel proportions. Below are some of my reflections that resonated this year:

1. Life isn’t about a single moment of great triumph and attainment. It’s about the trials and errors that get you there—the blood, sweat, and tears—the small, inconsequential things you do every day. It all matters in the end—every step, every regret, every decision, and every affliction.

2. We must be ready to put in the work for the things we desire. If you want a job, be ready to work. If you want a relationship, be ready to work. If you want a family, be ready to work. If you want happiness, be ready.

3. Life will happen to all of us. None of us will escape the pangs of life. The unpredictability will happen. If the last two years have thought us anything, it is this fact!

4. You can always control the way you respond to what happens, and in your response is your power.

5. Consistency will always trump hardwork, talent, sponsorship. Stay with it. Just stay!

6. If you live long enough you will understand that even when it seems personal, rarely do people do things because of you, they do things because of them.

7. Your heart might be bruised, but it will gradually heal and become capable of feeling the beauty of life once again. It’s happened to you before, and it will happen again – life is always changing.

8. It’s not the mistakes and failures you have to worry about, it’s the opportunities you miss when you don’t even try that hurt you the most.

9. More than ever before I have come to the realization that there is always a lie lingering in between a dream and too many excuses. And the lie is you lying to yourself.

10. When all is said and done, grief is the price you pay for love. And it’s better to have loved, lost and learned, than to have never loved at all.

11. We often time have a notion that doing nothing and just having a nice time is a waste of time. That is a lie. Life is not all about ‘doing things and tasks and targets.’ Sometimes, doing nothing is enough.

12. We all have days when we’re not our best. And the older we grow, the more we realize how important it is to give others the break we hope the world will give us on our own bad days.

13. Some people wait all day for 5pm, all week for Friday, all year for the holidays, all their lives for happiness and peace. Don’t be one of them. Life is too short. Time is running out. Don’t wait until your life is almost over to realize how good it has been.

14. Daily kindness is truly a beautiful legacy to leave behind.

15. Take action, work hard, but don’t forget to pause and pay attention to life’s little moments too. That’s honestly one of my biggest learnings reinforced in 2021.

16. It’s nice to have acquaintances. It’s important to be friendly. But don’t get carried away and spread yourself too thin. Leave plenty of time for those who matter most to you. Your time is extremely limited

17. If you always play the victim, you will always be treated like one. Life isn’t fair, but no one promises us it was going to be. Just deal with it.

18. You will never feel as confident as you want to feel.  Stop believing that you should feel more confident before you take the next step.  Taking the next step is what builds your confidence.

19. Patience is not about waiting.  Patience is the ability to keep a positive, focused attitude while working hard to move your life forward.

20. When things aren’t adding up in your life, begin subtracting.  Life gets a lot simpler when you clear the clutter that makes it complicated.  Not everything and everyone you lose is a loss.

21. Forget popularity.  Just do your thing with passion, humility, and honesty.  Do what you do, not for an applause, but because it’s what’s right.  Many of the kindest gestures you’ll ever make, and the most important things you’ll ever do, will never be seen publicly.  Do them anyway.