Every New Year that begins has
innumerable experiences and memories in store for each one of us. It unfolds
yet another chapter in our lives. It is not just a year that we live and survive;
it is a phase which makes us better persons than what we were in the year
before. When I look back at 2017, I think this year to be the year of
accomplishments and bittersweet experiences.
I would call 2017 as a year when I
absorbed many things. It was a year of new beginnings and revival of something
close to my heart. On a professional front, it was about taking up new
responsibilities. Change can be difficult and bumpy at first; but it was
something I had to accept, to experiment. In this new ‘change’ I came across
certain idiosyncrasies of people. I started believing that some people could
really be experts in giving you a tough time. They are devoid of empathy and
insist on getting their interests served first. Well, if that is what having a
professional face means, then I was quite baffled to know how people show
little consideration for others’ limitations. But I believe that only in times of
adversities you can really improve yourself or look for alternatives which can
make your life better. Through these times, I learned one of the significant
things that was absent in me since long: Assertiveness. To say No
is equally important. You cannot please everyone at the same time. I learned to
be acerbic where polite words did not succeed. You learn from your mistakes and
they help you to excel. In a way, I should thank these difficult people who
helped me instill these necessary qualities in myself. Difficult people teach
you to battle tough situations, whereas the positive people around you
encourage and motivate you to do better. I was fortunate to have met some people who exuded sanguinity.
Having completed a year in my job and
having a bag full of lessons in it, I decided to give my passion of learning German
a thrust by letting it add colour to my life. What is life without passions
after all! It was a wonderful feeling to be a student again, to sit in a
classroom as the teachers shared their expertise in the language which I have
been loving since 6 years now. The successful completion of two levels and
beginning of the final level has been my biggest achievement and fulfilment of
a crucial goal for 2017. It was like a dream coming true after a wait of almost
3 years. The language gets elegant and intense every time I am in its company. German,
which for others is a ‘foreign language’, no more seems foreign to me. I feel
close to its beauty, the same closeness that I feel towards Marathi, Hindi and
English. It has become a part of me. It is the sugar which adds sweetness in my
life. My aspiration to pursue German and the journey covered so far, reminds of Paulo Coelho's line in his book 'The Alchemist':
The world which seemed diverse to me only
in form of novels that I read, seemed real and fascinating when I went on my
first international trip this year. Not only the time spent in Malaysia and
Singapore but also the entire process making it possible to reach there- let it
be booking the tour, going through immigration process at airports, looking
around the airports- everything was exciting. It was a memorable trip with lot
of takeaways, awe and inspiration. I had a historic flavour of appreciation when I visited
Jadhavgadh, a heritage fort of the Marathas. The grandeur of the fort and the
history which adorns it was worth paying obeisance to the bravery of our
forefathers. They had the vision and strategies which were exemplars of human
intelligence. Adventure means experiencing a thrill and doing something that
looks perilous. My visit to Imagica was one such day when I enjoyed getting
topsy-turvy views from the rides that we went in. Truly a wonder of limitless
imagination and fun in its pure form, Imagica promised full amusement in its
theme park.
Bill
Cunningham, an American fashion photographer, said, "Fashion
is the armour to survive the reality of everyday life." This year, I
explored the traditional forms of Indian sartorial elegance, quite hesitantly
at first: be it the white sari of Kerala or traditional nine yard sari of
Maharashtra. I realized that India is indeed a hub of fashion and traditional
dressing styles, and Indians are in fact, the models who proudly walk donning
these diverse looks. I enjoyed dressing up in these different and exciting styles
which seemed quite distant for me earlier. The reality of everyday life
transformed for me for few hours at least when I experimented that something
different is something better, for which people around appreciate.
Life was serene, challenging
and enjoyable, yet all these moments were worth cherishing. Times of laughter
with friends and loved ones provided the much needed solace and provided a
break from monotony. The New Year will come up with bigger challenges and
hopes. It would be yet another year when I will learn something new; it will
give lots of opportunities to grow and develop from good and bitter experiences.
It will have many more memories worth treasuring in my mind. Every passing year
plays like a recap in my mind, which leaves footprints of lessons that I learn.
New Year is not about resolutions and their fulfilment. It also provides a roadmap of how we can make our lives better by bringing about constant improvement in
ourselves.
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