iSoulation

2020 is the cool sounding year that wasn’t. The re-telling of how it affected everyone individually will last for the rest of our lives, and it’s been odd, to say the least.

Melbourne wasn’t Melbourne, and it was hardly even a ghost of itself. The streets were still like photographs. Faces were covered with masks, eye contact was often panicked, and people weren’t able to escape their problems as isolation made everything louder. The tensions did slowly ease, the outward frustration grew and the opinions skyrocketed. Combine it all and add everyones platform on the internet – and it just gets even weirder.

If 2020 has taught me anything – which it has many – my biggest focus was shedding a lot of what I mentioned above – outside influences. Sure, some of these things hindered me to react and delve, pausing my position in meaningless conversations, searches, arguments and conspiracies. Yet it accomplished nothing. I had to go cold turkey and vanquish it all from my time. It wasn’t until that, that I was able to focus on wholly on myself, my goals, my business, and purpose. It allowed me to shed the dead weight of jealousy, callousness, vengeance and grudges I had mostly created internally, just by focusing on my own goals and opinions held against my own timelines. Sounds simple but that shit was hard to ditch. I buried that stuff 6 feet deep.

So the internal guide, or intuition as I would call it, started growing more when external ideologies vanished. The influence of notoriety became obvious, rather than support. There is a clear difference in being known by more people and having success with more people. It’s often the contrary when fame isn’t involved. The shift from the masses to the individual was a necessity. 1 person at a time, not an audience – that’s the way to grow authentically – for me anyway.

Self reflection does have its issues, as we often are a detriment to ourself through ignorant narcissism or complete underestimation of ourselves. We look at masters and feel low by comparison – or we look at modern art and feel like we could do it. It’s delusions of all proportions usually. It can only be measured in progress, nothing else. Not the talk, but the progress of an objective ‘goal’. If you’re sitting still, most people are moving passed you in fast cars. It causes a self annihilation of time. You destroy potential progress with the consumption of other peoples work, environments, whatever. Standing on the street, criticising, comparing and looking at all the cars whilst you stand still. Yet when the focus is on moving forward with direction – you barely notice even the colour of the car next to you. It’s just hard to keep that eye line on the road ahead – and I’ve been guilty of idling in my idols for a long time.

So I guess 2020 was positive for me in that way. I just continue to work on the craft I’ve chosen, work on the ideas and target my own goals that have no influence from others. They’re impacted by others, but let’s not confuse impact with influence.

So for the year that felt that would never end, my impatience has been answered as it expires tonight at midnight. The boredom which lead to questions of my purpose, resulted in growth, and that’s progress. I’m not going to romance 2021 just yet, but I’ll check back in with where my mind has wandered to with a new date soon. All the best to you and yours. Cheers to those who need the new year mentally, and I hope that 2021 brings you what you’re looking for.