2021, In a Nutshell

Soul Letter #43

Hello👋 folks, Shubham here.

I am back with another edition of Soul Letter🗞

Can’t believe we have reached the end of the year. 2021 has just slipped away like a bottle of wine.

A few months ago I posted a WhatsApp status on a whim asking would anyone be interested if I start a newsletter?

Thankfully, 16 daring souls volunteered to sign up, and what a journey it has been since then.

After pondering for hours how to end the year’s final newsletter, I have decided to keep it plain and simple.

Guess I have already preached enough 🤭

Therefore today’s edition will be short and quick with my highlights of 2021.

Let’s Begin.

• Lost a friend due to cancer which made me realize the fleeting nature of life. Pray for your loved ones, you never know what they are going through.

• Several friends and colleagues lost their family members in 2021 which makes me extremely grateful for having a healthy family.

• Living at home under COVID restrictions reiterated how dependent we are on the women of the house. They barely get acknowledged for their heroics.

• Switched from an MNC to a startup as a software engineer however things didn’t go well. Resigned within 2 months, no regrets. In fact, I am proud of myself for making the bold call.

• Joined my dad’s business(we have a printing press) which was the biggest surprise. If someone had told me this a year back I would have laughed. Well, life is unpredictable.

• Leaving corporate street gave me the freedom to start writing on LinkedIn. I could say anything without the thought of offending anyone.

• One of the biggest milestones has been Soul Letter 🗞 The aim was simple, to provide value by writing things I believed in. The response has been phenomenal. I owe you guys.

• I tried using Instagram for a few months but it’s not my thing. However, have been active on Twitter lately. It resonates more with me.

• Talking about community, Page Turners 📚 is another gem that emerged out of sheer desire to encourage people to read. Let’s cheer each other to read.

• Several close friends went abroad for masters or jobs which kind of hindered the bond but a good friendship isn’t affected by the distance.

• My friends have started getting married which leaves me with a mixed feeling. I am happy for them and scared for myself. YIKES!

• Yet another year of being single which adds up to 25 still I wouldn’t change a thing because I wouldn’t have grown this much had I been in one.

• Rekindled several dormant friendships. A major plus of moving back to the hometown. It feels nice to be back in touch with old friends.

• Read 38 books this year which is my personal best. Will try to cross the 30 mark next year too.

• Finally visited Varanasi. It’s a shame being born in UP, I didn’t go there earlier. Stayed in a hostel for the first time during the trip. A must-try, you will meet amazing souls.

• Learned driving. Another big plus of 2021.

• Was involved in a road accident. Nobody was injured however our car was badly damaged. Things got ugly as the other driver and his squad was drunk. Fortunately escaped with only a ripped T-shirt.

• Talking about lucky escapes had a near-miss incident with 🔥 Another reminder of how precious is life. Writing about it I can still smell the soot from the mishap. In the last few months, I have woken up multiple times at night with trepidations that something is burning.

• Got published for the first time in top Medium publications (Ascent, Curious). I was over the moon but you know what nobody cares. People around me don’t even read Medium.

• Went to watch India vs New Zealand test match, however, Kohli didn’t play. I am a huge Kohli fan because of his work ethic.

• Bought a new phone. I have an unwanted track record of buying a new phone each year which I badly want to change.

• Exercised (which includes workouts, cycling, and playing badminton) for 182 days this year. Will try to hit the 200 mark next year (Yes, I keep track of my habits).

• Bought a bicycle after a decade. Cycling 🚴‍♀️ for pleasure is highly underrated.

• Still haven't learned counting from 1-100 in Hindi. Shame on me 😓

• Switched to a home workout instead of the gym because it gels better with my routine. Yes, the results aren’t as prominent but there’s always a trade-off.

• Internet is a fun place, met some amazing people through LinkedIn, Goodreads, Slowly, Twitter. Spoke to writers I highly admire on these platforms.

• Watched 400 episodes of Naruto, the last 100 are still pending. Don’t know when will I finish :(

• Tried running a podcast titled 60ml conversations with a few friends and failed miserably. Gained respect for every one person who regularly posts podcasts or videos.

• Still can’t grow a beard maybe the hormones might kick in next year. Who knows?

• Thought to learn cooking and failed again. On my best day, it takes me 10 minutes to cut an onion.

• Got both doses of my COVID Vaccination.

• Bought a new FITBIT device. Gave the older one to my mom who beats me regularly in the step count challenges (it’s embarrassing).

• Made my DEMAT account this month. It’s time to catch up with this fast-paced world.

• After years Arsenal is playing beautiful football. It’s a joy to watch.

• Most people forgot my birthday since I don’t use social media. Gave me a nice-reality check. 18 April, make a reminder guys!

• I now actively avoid sugar and junk food. I believe I ate Maggi only 2 or 3 times at max this year. Sweets are still a weakness, especially ice creams😋

• With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility! Watching Spider-Man: No Way Home was one of the best days of this year. Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man was the first superhero movie I saw in the hall and Andre Garfield’s Spider-Man was the first movie I saw in Bangalore. Watching them again on the big screen momentarily teleported me back to the good old days.

• Finally, 2021 was the year I profoundly embraced writing, there is definitely something there to work upon. The humbling messages I have received from strangers are droplets of pure bliss.

Author in a rare candid photo :)

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Happy New Year! to everyone. Thank You for finding time from your busy schedules to read my work. It means a lot ♥

I know 2021 has been brutal for many, leaving them with invisible scars that even time may not be able to heal. More power to you guys.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." — Dumbledore

A huge shoutout to my proofreaders who make it possible to deliver quality content week in week out. You guys are awesome! (maybe not as awesome as me but still pretty awesome 😎)

Hope you enjoyed this edition.

Signing off for this year:) Until next time, Houdoe! 🙋‍♂️

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Previous Soul Letters 🗞

Random Musings 😏, Part-13

“Be the Person You Want” - A simple phrase to fight mediocrity 😪