We Must Evaluate What We Have Learned and Be Ready for New Beginnings

Life is full of tough turns for all of us. Last year was a year with lots of ups and downs, but also transformative and radically changing our lives. While our business life, working style, habits, relationships, education system, economic order are drifting in a storm of radical change; On the other hand, life continued to flow at the same pace.

Although all the negative experiences made us feel helpless and hopeless from time to time, we also questioned our consumption habits by realizing how much we actually have; we reconsidered our priorities, realizing how much we have to be thankful for; remembering that health is more valuable and prioritized than anything else in life, we hugged our loved ones and life even more tightly, even from afar; We have witnessed, together with the whole world, how valuable the little moments in life, the little things we ignore, become for us.

Our socializing behaviors have changed

Weekend meetings and after-work meetings, which are an ordinary part of our lives, have been shelved for a long time. While we were looking for ways to meet with our loved ones from a distance, we questioned our bonds and sincerity. Our friendships, romantic relationships, and ties with our family were put to the test. We have seen that sometimes the far can be close, and sometimes how far the near is actually. As we analyze the toxic people in our lives and the relationships that are not so necessary, we find our friends and loved ones, sometimes in the background, who we understand how important they are to us.

Our living spaces have changed

Our homes, where most of us only go to sleep, have become places where we spend all of our time. We had to make arrangements to make our homes, which are sometimes our workplace, sometimes our gym, and sometimes our art workshop, much more livable. We got rid of the excesses, tried to simplify our houses and make them more livable. Some of us rediscovered the color of the walls, some of us relocated their belongings, some of us bought things they never needed before but realized they were missing as they spent time at home.

Our habits have changed

We understood how important it is to have fresh air, to be in touch with nature, and even to walk while going from one place to another. In the moments we spent outside, we took a deeper breath and looked at the trees from a different perspective. In order to add color to our lives that fit within four walls, we sought ways to have a pleasant time at home. This year, we were content to watch the seasons pass, the nature change, the flowers blooming on the trees from the windows of our houses. We sunbathed on the balcony, not on the beach. We brought the restaurants to our home; We made amateur attempts to bring different flavors of world cuisine to our tables. We worked tirelessly to make the best bread.

No matter how much things change in our lives, we are once again amazed at the capacity of the human brain to adapt and adapt quickly to changes. We were forced, bored, overwhelmed, tired, but somehow we found a way to be happy, stay calm, fill our time with good things, spare time for ourselves and our loved ones, and adapt our plans to the new normal.

It is a matter of curiosity for all of us what kind of surprises 2021 will come with, for better or for worse. It is an inevitable fact that all of us will face this year with much more anxiety and the question 'Will it be possible to search for those who come and go?' But before saying 'hello' to new beginnings, evaluate what the past year has taught you, brought to your life and taken away; to thank him by embracing all the emotions he gives you, whether you are angry, offended, or even if you feel disappointed; It's time to slowly close and review the effects it has left on you.

The following questions will help you absorb what you did this year, how you overcame all the challenges, what you learned and what you questioned.

-What were the most meaningful things I did for myself, my loved ones, and the world this year?

-How did it make me feel that my life was filled with events that were beyond my control?

-Have I done everything in my power to be prepared for the challenges I face?

-What were the subjects that I stubbornly and unnecessarily cling to and wasted?

-What are the problems I left unsolved, the works I did not complete, or the goals I did not complete?

-What was the most dominant thought in my mind, the one that stuck with me the most?

-What emotion was the most difficult for me to cope with throughout the year, and on what issues did I need emotional support the most?

-How could I be more involved in life, how could I live better?

-What habits did I get rid of that I wanted to quit, what were my new habits?

-If I could change what could I feel more satisfied?

-What were the moments when I didn't feel like I was myself and the people I couldn't be myself around?

-Who and what have I tolerated in my life that I don't really want?

-In what ways have I been able to tolerate the challenges life throws at me?

-What were the decisions I made because I had to, not because I wanted to?

-What were the most difficult points for me to accept myself and my loved ones as they are?

-Have I invested in my hobbies and interests to feel better?

-Whose mistake did I have the most trouble forgiving? What issues did I realize I couldn't forgive?

-What is a strong feature of me that I was not aware of before and that I noticed this year?

-What is a weak feature of me that I was not aware of before and that I noticed this year?

-Who were the 3 most important people who added value to my life, took me one step further and inspired me?

What was the top priority for me this year, what was the most important issue that led to major changes in my life?

Who are the people I know have always been in my life and will be by my side forever?

-Who were the people who were in my life before but not in my life this year?

-Which of the things that frightened, worried and worried me were real threats, and which were the product of my mind?

-Did the goals I set for myself and try to achieve in order to change make it difficult for me to see the mistakes that made me grow? So how can I change my perspective?

-How much did I compare my change to that of others? Did what I expected of myself match what society expected of me?

-Did I congratulate myself for what I've already accomplished as I continue to grow, change and transform?

-Despite all the difficulties I faced, did I do things that were outside of my ethics and values?

-What steps have I taken for my spiritual legacy that I want to leave to the world after I die?

-If I were to live this year all over again, what would I want to change?

We are aware that all these questions are not so easy to answer at once. It is not so easy to evaluate a whole year, a year that has left a deep impression on our lives, perhaps more than ever before. However, you have a whole month ahead of you to answer these questions, and you need to close the cover of your completed notebook before you can open a new page and make a fresh and beautiful start to the new year.

An instructive farewell with lessons learned for yourself; Wishing you a pleasant start with your new goals, goodbye.