DESPITE THE FACT THAT only a few I have known actually bother talking about New Year resolutions, I feel obligated to write about it for personal reasons. A year of committing to something has come to pass me by. Safe to say that this is one of the few, rare in fact, instances in my life where I have actually bothered, nay managed, to fulfill a promise I made myself. Does that make me sound disconcerted? Oh why not. Who isn’t?
Much like the jolly old chap Santa, who I had mentioned about in one my earlier posts, resolving to keep a promise to one’s good own self is also about hope. Who cares if I decide to take up yoga and burn off those extra calories next year? Who is concerned that I will consciously try and read more books during 2007? As a matter of fact, neither am I. If it happens, it will be a completely unplanned and totally random event as far as I am concerned. I belong to that part of the social fabric that is terrible at planning for it. Tell me to organize a party or a social reunion, I am your man. But tell me to ensure I will take the metro every time I step out of the house it is more likely I’d instinctively hail a cab the first chance I get.
People wonder what kind of individuals can keep promises made to others when they can’t even hold on to their own. You will be amazed how much better off you are with that kind which is, least of all, self obsessed.
But I have hope in myself. And why shouldn’t I? I will be 29 next March and that puts me in a delicate age range where I am expected to be committed. To myself, to others and of course, to resolutions that I pretend I plan for. And that very hope is what makes me not want to wonder about what I will try to improve my lifestyle in two double zero seven.
Thinking about such things makes me nervous. Since once a plan, as tentative as it maybe, enters your system the needless pressure of having to follow it up begins. As I said, being answerable to your own self is the worse. Resolutions are like mirrors that keep looking at you every passing day of the year. Do I want to live each moment with that disturbing glare? I think not.
Let’s take my ’06 for instance. I had never planned to write (read finish) a complete book and publish it. I actually managed to do it. The one major milestone of being an officially published writer is mine for life. Who’d have thought I would become part of a major Internet initiative like Shubhashaya.com? I’d be the last person for that guess. But it happened. Launched in November ’06 the website is getting more hits everyday. The feedback and positive energy I have seen about it is just keeping me more inspired to go on with it. Who’d have thought I would get my articles published in leading newspapers across India at least a dozen times? And of course, who on earth would have guessed I would start blogs! Believe me when I tell you, when I went to bed on December 31, 2006 I had none of this planned. All I had on mind is the hope that the New Year would be pleasant and uneventful.
And it was. For the most part anyway. Life is all about ups and downs. Things you can neither plan for nor predict. Resolving to do something important with yourself can only be truly accomplished if you are trying to get rid of a vice. That is the only single thing you can ever accomplish and actually see the difference right away. No negatives there as far as I can tell.
So do yourselves a favor this year, don’t make any resolutions. Revisit your life around March, and see what needs to be changed. If you are happy with it let it be. And if you are not then don’t worry too much. Hopefully you will get to it in the remaining days of the year. Revisiting is always fun. Isn’t it?
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007 everyone. Live it up.
..ShaKri..
Much like the jolly old chap Santa, who I had mentioned about in one my earlier posts, resolving to keep a promise to one’s good own self is also about hope. Who cares if I decide to take up yoga and burn off those extra calories next year? Who is concerned that I will consciously try and read more books during 2007? As a matter of fact, neither am I. If it happens, it will be a completely unplanned and totally random event as far as I am concerned. I belong to that part of the social fabric that is terrible at planning for it. Tell me to organize a party or a social reunion, I am your man. But tell me to ensure I will take the metro every time I step out of the house it is more likely I’d instinctively hail a cab the first chance I get.
People wonder what kind of individuals can keep promises made to others when they can’t even hold on to their own. You will be amazed how much better off you are with that kind which is, least of all, self obsessed.
But I have hope in myself. And why shouldn’t I? I will be 29 next March and that puts me in a delicate age range where I am expected to be committed. To myself, to others and of course, to resolutions that I pretend I plan for. And that very hope is what makes me not want to wonder about what I will try to improve my lifestyle in two double zero seven.
Thinking about such things makes me nervous. Since once a plan, as tentative as it maybe, enters your system the needless pressure of having to follow it up begins. As I said, being answerable to your own self is the worse. Resolutions are like mirrors that keep looking at you every passing day of the year. Do I want to live each moment with that disturbing glare? I think not.
Let’s take my ’06 for instance. I had never planned to write (read finish) a complete book and publish it. I actually managed to do it. The one major milestone of being an officially published writer is mine for life. Who’d have thought I would become part of a major Internet initiative like Shubhashaya.com? I’d be the last person for that guess. But it happened. Launched in November ’06 the website is getting more hits everyday. The feedback and positive energy I have seen about it is just keeping me more inspired to go on with it. Who’d have thought I would get my articles published in leading newspapers across India at least a dozen times? And of course, who on earth would have guessed I would start blogs! Believe me when I tell you, when I went to bed on December 31, 2006 I had none of this planned. All I had on mind is the hope that the New Year would be pleasant and uneventful.
And it was. For the most part anyway. Life is all about ups and downs. Things you can neither plan for nor predict. Resolving to do something important with yourself can only be truly accomplished if you are trying to get rid of a vice. That is the only single thing you can ever accomplish and actually see the difference right away. No negatives there as far as I can tell.
So do yourselves a favor this year, don’t make any resolutions. Revisit your life around March, and see what needs to be changed. If you are happy with it let it be. And if you are not then don’t worry too much. Hopefully you will get to it in the remaining days of the year. Revisiting is always fun. Isn’t it?
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2007 everyone. Live it up.
..ShaKri..
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