20 Lessons from 2020 | Studio 31
Every year gives us a new perspective of life, every year teaches us new lessons, and every year makes us grow as individuals. Here’s what the staff at Studio 31 learned in 2020.
To dwell in the past would be a mistake, but to avoid reflecting on what actually happened in the past would be an even bigger one. You might be wondering why I say this now. Every year that passes by teaches us a lesson we never forget. Sometimes it is through light-hearted experiences and sometimes it is through painful ones. 2020 has been one of those years that really left an impact on all our lives and none of us would ever want to look back at it. But, it was definitely a year that taught us lessons we’d never forget.
Personally, I had quite a few valuable takeaways from this year than most as I had more time to reflect on what was happening around me.
1. A reminder to extend a helping hand
Be it taking care of hungry animals on the street or helping someone who is in desperate need of money. Remember to always lend a helping hand no matter how little you can do for them. The help you give will always be of some use to the person on the receiving end.
2. Listen to your body
Living in a society that has truly adapted itself to the hustle culture, we think that we need to do more, we need to climb higher, we need to work harder, and only then will we be validated in society. We often neglect our bodies because of this and build unhealthy habits that result in physical ailments later on in life. So take a minute to really listen to your body and treat it right.
3. Hold on to people, not things
Materialistic happiness is only temporary but the true bonds and relationships we have in life are permanent. Let’s never forget that!
4. Practice gratitude
We live such fast-paced and competitive lives these days that we truly forget to be thankful for what we have in life. To have a safe roof over our heads, healthy food that we get to eat every day, a loving family, and friends who care for you more than anyone else has really proven to be a privilege in this pandemic. So remember to give thanks to every little thing in your life.
5. Celebrate the little wins
Celebrate! No matter how small the victory. For most of us, being able to go back to work and resume a life that seems close to normal has been a victory that’s worth a celebration. So remember to celebrate even if it is something as small as cooking as a meal for yourself.
6. Learn to truly let go
Out with the old and in with the new is how I would describe it. Let us truly forgive and forget the wrongdoings of the past and emerge as evolved individuals who are mentally stronger.
7. Invest in your personal growth
Personal growth is important for every individual. Move out of your comfort zone and invest time in activities that will truly benefit you in the long run.
8. Appreciate, adapt and accept the mundane
The art of having to sit at home and not go out to indulge in social activities has been traumatising for some. But let’s appreciate what we have right now and adapt to these trying times.
9. Believe in yourself and value the life that you are given
Unforeseen situations call for extreme self-doubt and disbelief on oneself. It is normal to feel down in the dumps, but remember to value the life you have been given. The more you value everything and everyone around you, the more you start to value yourself and that makes you believe in yourself.
10. To be kinder
Kindness is a trait that we all often forget or overlook. The pandemic has really made us revisit and think about the basic yet necessary qualities we all need to possess in life. So here’s a reminder to stay kind to one another.
11. Practice patience
We often hear the saying “ patience is a virtue” but as with most things in life, it is easier said than done, and to practice it, is truly difficult. 2020 has tested our patience from the get-go, but let’s be thankful to have acquired this much-needed skill and practice it more in life.
I was curious to know how others perceived the situation and what they learned in 2020. So, I decided to reach out to my fellow colleagues at Studio 31, and here’s what they had to say.
12. Self-care is a priority, not a privilege.
Our CEO, Pranesh said, “Completely forgotten and dismissed as unnecessary in our society. Self-care is not a privilege that is given to us in this world but nonetheless let’s prioritise it and practice it. And let us also remember that investing time on oneself should never be considered wrong as that is the only way we can all evolve as human beings”.
13. Your savings can save you
One of the biggest lessons of 2020 has been practicing moderation. With limited access to basically everything in life, with jobs and salaries being put on hold as companies had 0% income for months. Our only saviour to acquire basic necessities has been our savings.
Kingsley Roy said, “ I never had a proper plan to save money. I was always that person who spent all the money I earned each month. But during the pandemic, I really felt the weight of not having a proper plan to save up money”.
14. Life is very uncertain and unpredictable
“Anything can happen at any time, that is how I would summarise 2020”, said Devaendran.
None of us would have expected to be in a situation like this and no amount of preparation would have been sufficient either. A lesson for all of us to remember is that nothing is permanent.
15. Consistency is the key to everything in life
To build a habit takes time, but once you pass the early stages of procrastination it becomes a part of your lifestyle.
Our newest recruit Rakshana Jayakumar said, “ Consistency was something that really helped her through this tough time. Be it work or at home, i made sure to stay consistent and stick to a plan with whatever i did.”
16. Enjoy the little things
“2020 has been a rollercoaster that I never want to ride again. Though it was a nightmare, I did learn a few things from it. I started to love and enjoy the little things from my day to day life, which I had never even looked at before. It gave me new clarity on how I perceived life and helped me look deeper into myself”, said Raja.
17. To be resilient amidst adversities
Anusha Ramesh said, “Over the past year, in spite of hurdles bogging us down, I have learnt to be resilient amidst adversities. It is essential that we stay strong and focused so that we can persist and come out of our difficulties like absolute rockstars”.
18. To have unshakable confidence
“ One of the things that I felt deeply this past year was the mental stress of being idle at home. I am someone who is always travelling for shoots and to stay still was extremely difficult. But, what helped me carry forward this year was the confidence and faith that I had in myself. Virtual workshops were something that we started during the pandemic, and through this, I was able to communicate, teach, and learn from various people in the industry. This only gave me a bigger boost in confidence and I can surely say that with the confidence you can always achieve big things in life despite the situations you are in.”, said Yogesh Malleeswaran.
19. It’s always a good time to learn new skills
Aswini said, “2020 taught me that every skill we observe around us is important. It gave me the push to learn a lot of new things. I didn’t learn photoshop when I worked full time at Studio 31. Ironically, I had the “need” to learn it later on when I decided to start my own venture in 2020. The time is always right to pick up skills because everything we learn will be handy in life someday.”
20. Health and Family comes first
“ In my opinion, the biggest lesson that no one can teach is that family and health comes first. 2020 came with a lot of negativity but this is something I am glad I learnt”, says Hari Krishnan.
So there it is, 20 things we learned from 2020. I hope that each and every one of you reading this found something that you could relate to or something that you had learned this past year.
So validate yourself, improve yourself, and above all LOVE yourself as we are all worth it.
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About Studio 31
Studio 31 is a 12-year-old premium wedding photography and film company based out of Chennai. The company captures over 400 weddings every year across South Indian cities including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mysore, Coimbatore, Trichy, Salem, Nellore, Visakhapatnam, etc. They also shoot weddings internationally in Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Germany.
We’re one of the only tech-enabled wedding photography companies in India that use simple technology to provide their customers with a world-class customer experience. The company gets over 78% of its yearly bookings via customer referrals.
We have been featured in leading publications, including The Hindu, The Economic Times, Your Story, and The New Indian Express.
