I was reflecting today about my life during the Covid the lockdowns again. Damn do I miss who I was back then. Despite the seemingly lack of options we had, I personally felt free.

The lack of modern responsibilities, allowed me (forced me even) to come up with ways to fill my day, which made me feel more productive, the day was literally mine, I decided what it should be. I started reading books, did home workouts, tried Yoga and even had a small 10-20 minute a day meditation going – all new beautiful experiences. I even taught myself to work with digital art, animation and video editing softwares (not much, but still). I was calm and content.

Perhaps I am looking back at that time with rose tinted glasses, but I do feel the overwhelming noise of information, tasks and obligations we all have in our day to day act as a sort of restraint to who we are and who we can be. I sometimes wonder if this is a me issue or if this is a byproduct of society. Was I accidentally free from the restraints of the hustle and bustle of life and had a glimpse into who I can be? One thing is certain, I can’t control society (or at least won’t try to), what I can do is change things I can control in my life to try to replicate the feeling I once felt. Maybe I need to remove the shackles I “think” I am wearing.

During that time, I was fortunate enough to read a lot of books about Buddhism, which in turn opened me up to ideas such as mindfulness and minimalism. I was drawn to these concepts immediately, and I felt at the time that these were valuable lessons. Buddhism seemed to offer easy to understand and follow principles that could alleviate suffering and lead to a peaceful mind. This is contrary to western religions, which I view as a “Don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t disobey God” philosophy (I need to make it clear here, that I am by no means an expert on these subjects, and am open to be corrected, these are just my limited interpretations).

But perhaps my answers lie in a simpler life. A life with less noise and more focus. Maybe I should revisit mindfulness and minimalism.

As with any lifestyle change, putting in the work to change years of programming, to re-invent once self, is a taunting task. Especially changes that involve the spirit and philosophical concepts that have shaped societies. So I know I will need to take things slow.

I have already  made some changes since the last post, I started waking up before work at 6AM to go to the gym, I have now written two blog posts, and I am trying to be more honest with myself and keeping me accountable (according to every self-help book ever written, I’m half way there :P). Not much, but hey Rome wasn’t built in a day.

I know it’s too early to claim victory, and I don’t want to fall into the trap of trying to change too much at once and getting overwhelmed (been there too many times). Theoretically though, If I maintain this momentum, perhaps by 2027 I’ll be a new me (might even cross off a new-years resolution for the first time)

Once again thanks to whoever took the time, I promise my writing will get better with time (hopefully anyway)