2004

Another year gone by, another revolution around the sun completed, another round in the wheel of life closes. The end of the year is always a good time for introspection. To contemplate upon the mistakes made, to dwell on things that we’ve learnt. It’s a good time to give blessings for what you’ve gained and to move on from what you’ve lost. It’s a time to look forward with hope towards a brighter future.

I have learnt a lot of things this year. I’m older, wiser, less of a child now & more of a man that i hope to be like someday. I have gone through pain, sorrows, pleasure & happiness and all forms of emotions that tells us that Yes! we’re alive. This is my year in review.

The first thing i’ve learnt this year is that no matter what happens, God always has something better for you around the corner. That if He, in his infinite wisdom, takes something away, than rest assured he has better plans for you just waiting in the wings. I lost two of my best friends this year. Perhaps it was time they moved on to greener pastures. Their time with me was up. I had to be prepared for someone else and i have that found that person. I have found somebody who promises to fulfill the gap that their departure entailed and give me more still.

This year, I have learnt to not take relationships for granted. It’s so easy to ignore your family, your siblings when you’re in pursuit of whatever dream you’re pursuing. You forget your old friends and take them for granted when you’re out making new ones. Perhaps you’ve been one of those people who’ve forgetten your beloved and all they’ve done because you’ve been craving more excitement, the thrill of the chase, etc. But know what, i have found that only you will get hurt in the end. I have learnt to nurture these relationships that i share with my family and my old friends. I have learnt that these people will be there for me when no one else will. That i can always double my pleasure or halve my sorrow when i’m with them. I have come to believe that there are very few greater pleasures that life offers than reminiscing about your past with someone who has shared it with you for a long time. No new person can ever provide that same level of comfort & trust and perhaps the only people who’ll ever really be happy for you truly will be your family and those who love you.

This year i have stopped believing in coincidences. I have come to believe that life gives you whatever you want out of it. When you dream high and persist in your dream, you will make it in the end, because the universe will ensure that. You will find that people will appear out of no where in your path. Some will push you forward, others will teach you lessons that you will need in the future, while others will block you and thus make you stronger if you persist in breaking their hold. In the end you will achieve what you want. It’s up to you however to see each situation as an opportunity or a roadblock. It’s upto you to persist against the odds or lay down your arms in defeat. That is where the difference between success and failure lies.No where else. I have seen it happening. I have also seen that people have nothing better than to tell you that you won’t succeed in whatever you dream of doing. There will be very few who will be able to guide you or who will even listen to you without making fun of you. Learn from these people and ignore the others. When you’ll get to the top, it’s the same people who once told you that you’ll amount to nothing, who will now tell you how much they believed in you and how much they always believed..

This year i have found that living does not necessarily mean having a life. I have seen people living in apathy, day in and day out following the same monotonous routine they call ’living’. I have seen escapists who use their work to get away from it all, who call it company loyalty but in the end are just running away from themselves. These people don’t have a life and they envy those who do. I have learnt to avoid such people, to stop myself from becoming like them or get suck into their vacuum of endless drivel. I have learnt that if i don’t want to end up being like them, I should always be open to new thoughts & ideas, keep learning, to experiment in new and unique ways, change my environment often and never work in a field if I’m not passionate about it. You might get a very high income, but you’ll never be true to yourself. I have also found that if you’re passionate about what you do, success follows you. It’s slow to come and sometimes you’ll wish you were in another place or do what someone else is doing, but rest assured, it will come.

The year has also taught me the value of ’Self Respect’ and ’Self Confidence’. That if i don’t believe in myself, no one else will either and if i want to be respected, than i will have to act that way. Crying and whining like a child over every small thing, refusing to take responsibility for your actions, treating others with contempt, blaming others for your own mistakes or shortcomings are not traits that elicit respect. People only follow those who have clarity in their thoughts, who know what they want and how they want it and are willing to take the entire team with them on the journey. Also remember that you cannot be too friendly with those who serve you. Be nice to them. Treat them with respect. But remember, at the end of the day, you are their boss and they have to learn to see you that way.

I have also experienced humbleness and have tried to inculcate it into my persona. It’s taking me time, but i someday hope to succeed. I have found that your actions speak far more louder than anything you can brag about. That people will always favor & respect those who keep a low profile. It shows a deep character inside. People who talk a lot about themselves are usually very shallow and if they have to prove a certain point again and again, than there’s something they maybe hiding or lacking.

I have learnt many more things this year. I have learnt that there is immense power in prayer, that when i’m tired and think that life is becoming too burdensome, i can tell all my problems to God and somehow they all just melt away. I have learnt the laughing can cure almost all ills, that a sense of humor is more essential than money, and most of all i’ve learnt that it’s taking me a long time to become the person who i want to be but if God took seven days to create the world, what makes me think i can do a faster job.

2004 has been a very eventful year for all of us. Here’s hoping that 2005 is better. Join me in my prayers for world peace and for blessings for all.

Here’s wishing all of you friends a very merry X’Mas (slightly belated) and a Happy New 2005.