50: Year of Belief in Myself

2020 began with a wonderful holiday with my husband and friends in Sri Lanka. We didn’t know that COVID-19 existed and we were looking forward to the year with more such trips. We decided that this would be the year we travelled and explored the world. Little did I know, I would be exploring the world, only it was my inner one.

My workplace from 2019 had become a rudderless ship. I was surrounded by demotivated and unhappy people all the time in my professional life. But I chugged along on autopilot. In 2020, when so many others were losing their jobs, I was grateful to have a job. I didn’t realize it then, but it took a toll on me, I was stressed all the time, and still, I said to myself – at least I have a job. And so I continued, working from home, as was the norm in the pandemic. This was a blessing in disguise. It gave me time to pause and think about my life. I realized I wanted a change in my job. While conventional wisdom said to stay in a secure but unhealthy environment, something in me pushed me to do better and find other opportunities. And it worked!

It was a successful year for both me and my husband. Where the world was going through a pandemic and the job market didn’t look so good, we both had positive responses from companies for job opportunities. Though I hesitated to leave a familiar, comfortable and stable job, I chose to step out into the unknown. I realized during the lockdown and restrictive movement that when one unconsciously holds on to one’s beliefs, one becomes rigid and closed-minded to learn and expand one’s consciousness. The path to self-realization is to stay conscious of one’s beliefs and always be open to learning.

2020 has been the year where I learnt to believe in myself!