Rethinking Resolutions

I had started writing this piece in December 2022. For some reasons, I just could not complete it… The delay in finishing this article kept bugging me. Mentally I kept making notes on what else can be included in this blog post; yet the so called “muhurat” to just sit and officially pen down all my thoughts happened only today. 

So, without much ado, let me come straight to the point. Have you ever heard of this concept, wherein instead of new year resolutions of weight loss, money gain, blah blah – you actually choose words like compassion, forgiveness, gratitude etc. Well, I got to know about this for the first time from one of Oprah’s interviews. (Yes… I regard this lady as nothing less than a legend!!) This will be the first time that I choose a word for 2023… and the word is (drumrolls, drumrolls, drumrolls) – GRATITUDE.

There was this post by Sushree Diya Om in which she mentions how thankful she was to have fresh bedsheets and hot bathing water – which got me thinking even more about how there is so much to be thankful for. 

December was also the month wherein I got to read a blog/ journal of Mr. Kapadia, who one fine day went to a dentist only to end up knowing that he has Stage 4 cancer. In this rather brave documentation of his health, very aptly he says how cancer chose him, but he chose how to leave this world.

It took me 2 days to read his recording of the disease, as well as his physical and mental status. Part of me was like, why am I reading this – it is sad, scary, depressing. The other part of me was inquisitive enough to go on… to read on the story of a 60-year-old man who was until the start of the year doing all his chores and was physically in the best state he could be (or so is what he thought).

There were days when he saw people older than him living a healthy life which made him question how they sailed through the years without any scar. His journal is perhaps the best proof of how critical it is to value the time we have on this planet and be thankful for everythign we have.

December was also the time an old ex-colleague got in touch. Having spoken after 3 years, we were taking stock of our lives. And if one had to recollect the past few years, Covid-19 had to be discussed. I told her how during that period me and many of my friends were clocking in close to 12 hours at work as WFH had blurred all the work-life boundaries. I remember telling her, “I would wake up be on my desk, order food on days I could not cook due to workload, and then go to sleep – only to wake up and be back on my desk.” To this her reply was – “At least you had a job, Neha!”

While frankly during the pandemic I was actually thankful to have a job, when I spoke to her it was just the gruesome work hours that I spoke about. Her comment brought me back to reality – it made a larger impact because her husband lost his job in Canada, and they had to move back to India. My inner voice was like Gratitude Neha… Gratitude – Be Thankful… And thankful I am.

By the end of December, I got a news of my close friend’s SIL being diagnosed with Cancer. She is in her early thirties and has 2 kids – The younger one is hardly 2 years old. How easily do we take our health for granted, I thought. It is such a pity that one has to fall sick to realize what a blessing good health is. And the choice of word Gratitude for the Year 2023 was sealed.

As I write this, I do understand that the “new year” is already 22 days old (+/- 1 day depending on your time zone). Yet I wanted to finish this blog and share it with you. I even know that reading such a post where 2 incidents of grave health issues is not the most pleasant thing to do. But often when we see the extreme limits of life that we are shaken to its hard realities and our stupidities. 

I will not expand on what are the virtues of gratitude. This is perhaps the last thing readers on this platform need to be told – or should I say that there are better writers over here who can cover this topic in a much more impressive and interesting manner.

All I want to say is that, since the day I got associated with this platform, the way I perceive things have changed. Of course, there are few other changes which helped me improve my mind set (that can be a topic for some other blog) – but being part of this community has connected me to people and knowledge which I did not even know existed.

A kind soul even provided me monetary support by reading my blog.

Another kind soul gifted me a transformational course during Christmas.

And just like that tiny miracles and joys embraced me one after another. What is there not to be thankful about? 

I know, I am late to the party… But I wish you all a glorious 2023 – Perhaps you too can choose a word for this year and practice its qualities in your everyday life, or perhaps not 🙂 

But thanks a lot for reading this. The days I was away from the platform, I dearly missed reading the blogs of the people I closely follow. There is a lot of catching up to do. There are lot of thoughts and stories I wish to share here. I need your blessings to stay put and committed to this goal – cos the joy I get when you read my work is immensely satisfying.

On this note, I am closing this blog.

Stay Healthy… Stay Happy.

Sayonara

Hari Om!