The Year of Hope
By: Anjuli Shukla
Tags: Greatful, Kindness, Christmas, New Year, Vibes

Like every other brumal December, Santa had managed to squeeze himself down chimneys , mouths were stuffed with fruit cakes and hands were joined for the prayer. The sky seemed tinted in shades of red, green and white. It was that time of the year when the air was brimming with smells of poinsettia, rum balls and ginger bread. Faces were covered, but with masquerade and gleeful smiles. Everyone was of one mind, because this wasn’t lockdown but countdown. Unanimous cheers to three-two-one Happy New Year! And, it was 2020.

While changing calendars we hoped for our lives to change (of course for better). Nobody knew what this year had in store. We were only learning to write 2020 and not 2019 and it was only couple of months down on the journal when our lives flipped. An insane, unsought, unlikely flip it was. Even the red nosed Rudolph didn’t warn us about it. Probably he wasn’t knowing himself. We were in a situation of crisis and exigency. With on full swoop, the world fell to its knees. No it wasn’t a zombie apocalypse, that is yet to come, but a minuscule virus, that changed everything.

Lives were lost, employment cutback took place, economies were crashed, even the strongest went helpless. Locked inside their homes, people suffered all kinds of mental and physical breakdowns. Many were deprived of necessities as basic as food and shelter. And now, after months of forlorn glances and heavy weather, 2021,seems like a shinning beacon of hope.

With the arrival of every fresh year, our brain is fired with abundant expectations and we build our own air castles with open eyes and crossed fingers. However, this time, hope is at all time high. While we get ready to enter the year of faith and longing, 2021, it is required of us to drill few things inside our system that will certainly bring a positive shift. Three of the many valuable lessons 2020 taught, definitely comprises of:- employing our energies wisely, choosing kindness and being grateful.

While the Gen Z is all about vibes it is important for everyone, irrespective of where they lie on the age and gender spectrum to outline their energies wisely and not fall prey to fanciful abberations. When the Indian yogi and author, Sadhguru says, do what is needed because you are preparing for universe and not any university, it pictures so much of truth. This year has been all about energies and how we used it adhering to the difficult times. This also brings us to another important quality of being kind to everyone and everything around including our own conscious self. Whether we accept it or not, everyone fancy for love and we can unknowingly make considerable differences in people’s life by showing a little kindness. As no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. And in the end, the element of being grateful for things you have, helps bring immense fulfillment and peace of mind. Remember that the things you take for granted and consider useless are a luxury for many.

So this 25th December, while hanging your Christmas stockings don’t forget to be grateful for the life you have been blessed with and being kind and extending a helping hand and becoming a Santa for others. Now as I prepare my Christmas pudding and wait for my reply letter from North Pole with bells on, let me wish you a Merry Christmas and an Amazing New Year!Also, don’t get your tinsel in a tangle as festival calories don’t really count. The more the merrier!!