It has been a long (winter) hibernation season. Way too long for me.
My blog was stagnant for eight months, and I was stuck too. Not much happened, not much changed.
The pandemic is still pretty much going on around us, but I cannot blame everything on it.
While it contributed to the state of things, it is my life, and I still have control over it.
Hibernating
I didn’t realise that until now, how fast the time flies when you’ve taken the back seat. You set the autopilot mode on, and the days turns into weeks and months, and in a blink of an eye, you’re approaching quarter after quarter.
Yes, we moved to Germany primarily for safety and stability during the pandemic. I guess it worked for a bit, but having spent now over a year in the lockdown, I keep noticing that our life got into a slump. Obviously, not ours only. The whole world is riding on the same train, so I’m not saying it was a wrong decision. But I’m becoming uneasy with the place where my life is at.
Expressing gratitude
I acknowledge that I am incredibly privileged in my position. I need to be (and I am) grateful for what I have and where I am at the moment. I have a good and stable income; I live in a good place, I am safe and comfortable there. I am enabled to use technology, have access the knowledge, other people. I can express my thoughts.
I feel grateful for what I have. There are days, perhaps, when we are not aware of the things we have around us—resources, freedom, safety. Things we take for granted may sometimes not be around us, but we only notice when we miss them. So I’m reminding myself that I am thankful for everything.
Experience the moment
This photo was taken in the early morning of a Sunday in September 2018, in London. I’ve chosen it to remind me how many beautiful yet unexpected things are waiting for us out there.
I wrote about this back then, but now I’m looking at this from another perspective. I went for a long run that day, never expecting such a fantastic spectacle ahead. It was cold and dark in the morning, and it was uncomfortable almost the whole time. But the magic of that moment paid back for everything. I would never experience it had I not go for that run.
Awakening
So, why need a wake up call?
In a dream, things happen without our control. But how to wake up in life when you are not asleep any more? What does it mean to be awake?
I was thinking a lot about it lately, and to me, it means being conscious of my actions. It is to make choices aligned with my goals, desires and my vision for life. It is about understanding what takes me towards the places I want to be and what drags me away. To grab the steering wheel and take full responsibility for the direction of my life.
Stop dreaming, wake up and begin to live truly.