2022. Be Alive. Be Kicking.

Have I, in my 20 working years, had stronger conviction and optimism about our future? Perhaps no. Revenge optimism? Perhaps that's what I'm experiencing right now. But I have reasons.

I went out a few days the last month, without a mask. These were overwhelmingly liberating moments and I celebrated them. The last two weeks have obviously returned N95s, sanitizer in the back-pocket and caution to the front, however, my optimism and yearning, have stayed put.

The drive to bring 2022 alive is insanely powerful and listed below are the reasons why. Let me know if you feel similarly about 2022 and do the below resonate with you?

We care for each other.

We embraced our communities in 2021. Wave Two was tsunamic and traumatic. We all witnessed loss at a personal level. It was so close. Despite our loss or condition, we rose to support folks within and outside our communities. We put aside our anxieties, our fears. We came together to support, children, elderly, friends, strangers. For that's all we knew. It was cathartic, and we RALLIED together.

We invested in trust.

And not only folks at new tech or consulting firms, Industrial power houses, manufacturing firms had as many people working from home as there could and people worked harder. The only concerns there were, were around people and teams over spending themselves working from home. And darn yes, work got done at never before speed and efficiencies. The power of Trust and how that drives accountability.

We brought our families together

Folks moved in with their parents. Children started to get home schooled. We have been cooking meals together, playing board games, reading bed time stories to the old and the very young. Our colleagues at work know more about our families in two years, than they have ever known about us. Slightly romanticized, however, true and warm.

Life > Work.

The debate around work life balance (or imbalance) came to a rest after a time of unrest initially. I think we now better understand that we all live our lives, we understand that work is a large part of, but not the only part of our lives or separate from our life. We discovered our interests, rediscovered our pals, but most importantly we discovered time. Time to spend on what we like, time to spend on what we care for and who we care for. Time to be and time to reflect.

A sense of care.

Our sense of care, went beyond fellow humans. We came out to the rescue of our environment and fellow beings. I recollect how folks in Australia tried to save animals from the burning forests. During the pandemic, in India, several NGOs and individuals started caring for stray animals by organizing food drives, which continue still.

We also came to appreciate our environment more. We have in the last two years witnessed clearer skies, clearer water and animals returning to roost at places we had cordoned off from them.

We know we don't own the planet, we know that we share it with others and that our green friends are the only way to sustenance of healthy life. It is amazing how countless starts ups now focus on what's biodegradable, many focus on collecting the plastic debris from our lands and oceans and several more are regreening the planet.

Self Awareness.

This one is personal. I have the last two years, taken time to reflect on my priorities, drivers and my actions like never before. I believe I'm able to refocus my energies on what is the most critical, the most satisfying and what I believe is more positive than everything I have ever wanted to do. I'm more aware and therefore more conscious of the impact of my actions on others and I exercise care in how I conduct myself.

Now, if the reasons above don't make me proud and don't fill me with hope, I don't know what will. I have resolved to continue to be a constant in the communities that matter to me, to be a part of them and serve in the ways that I can.

I'm going live 22, be Alive and be kicking. Wish you the same!