As the faint sounds of fireworks play in the distance and the children in the neighbourhood countdown to the New Year, the reminiscence of the year gone by offers a melancholic aftertaste that probes the quandary that has been the year 2020.
Only a day into the year 2021 and I am already looking back at yesterday (literally the year before) and wondering if we will ever have the time we have been given to retreat, stop, pause and contemplate in the years ahead.
2020 and the emergence of the Covid-19 virus compelled us to re-invent ourselves: we washed our hands more often than we ever did in our whole lives; we stayed at home more and communicated with our family members; we read more books or stuff on the internet and in some cases, we deleted our accounts or group chats on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram and internalised our solitude – this led to less gossip for we became accountable for our conversations with people and gave value to our relationships. We slept late watching the entire 12 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and woke up in no hurry! We worked from home and bonded with the children over emails to clients. We sang, learnt new recipes to fill the bellies of our family members and ate together. We went online and attended zoom classes and connected with the world. We learnt new things with online courses because we had ample time to learn the things we postponed for 5 to 10 years of our lives!
We ate heartily for we took the time to savour the flavours of the food that we painstakingly put together while the supermarkets rationed the supplies. We sang even more and watched the rains, the storms and the humid weather and spoke at length about the water disruptions everywhere in the Klang Valley. Yet, we came together to collect water as a community which otherwise would have taken another 5 years to discover the neighbour living across our fence.
We had deeper bonds with people whom we met along the way amidst the social distancing and we discovered ourselves in each other. We took those bonds online and had intimate conversations as we grew wings of ascension together. We gave thanks to the things we acquired as we realised 2020 was the year of reckoning and discovering our true worth, even though, it was at the cost of the world economy coming to a standstill.
It was frightening at first but it revealed the fullest potential of a simple retreat to the Self for we learnt to value the things we took for granted all our lives and give deep meaning to our existence – in 1 year: the year 2020.
I am heavy hearted to venture into the year 2021, as I want to hold on to my children a little longer; hold on to the time spent with myself a little more and the privilege to just be at the leisure of my own time! I know that the year 2021 is about the execution of our quiet-time during the lockdown, setting the stage for everything that we have been planning over the past year.
It is also the year in which many possibilities await us with the potential to reach beyond the stars and gift us back our standing on this sacred planet of ours. It also means that we have rested enough and now, it is time to set out to sea to charter new paths for us to deepen our fortitude in what we do.
Be ready to get back to work and to venture on your own, as well as, strengthen your own self worth, you are going to need it. Let go the victim mindset and stop taking everything personally – it usually is never about you. Believe you deserve to have the life of your dreams and you will have the life you deserve. Trust that timing is everything and everything is timing! Stop the bickering and the comparing with others – your life is your own sacred curriculum destined by what you have been sent here to achieve. Dance like no one’s watching. Live like it’s the last thing you do.
Most of all, don’t forget the lessons of the year 2020: kiss the kids often; hug your family members more; eat heartily; watch the rains; take time to know your neighbour; listen to the birds; go within; stay at home more and always, always, give thanks for everything you have.
May you spread your wings and fly! A blessed New Year to all of you!
SUJATA NANDY WORLD GURUKUL
www.sujatanandy.com
