Is it truly a Happy New Year?
At the stroke of midnight, the compulsion to send out well-wishing messages floods many of us with sentiments of joy, dreams coming true, and all things sweet but perhaps somewhat hollow.
I've always appreciated these gestures as an annual opportunity to reconnect with both close and distant connections, letting them know they matter. Responding to this wave of goodwill usually involves a standard "Thank you, and the same to you and your family." However, this year, I find myself contemplating a different response.
Is it genuinely about endless happiness, best wishes, and dreams materializing? One of the perks of aging is the increasing clarity that each passing year brings. For me, there's a growing certainty about what to expect and what not to.
Despite the cascade of wishes for dreams to come true, I've come to realize that life follows its own pattern unless disrupted by extraordinary events. The usual routine of winding down, overindulging, New Year's Eve celebrations, messages exchanged, waking up with resolutions only to break them and revert to normal — it's a cycle we're all familiar with.
But 2023 brought about a shift. A few years after a milestone birthday, I managed to check off some items from my bucket list, including a 15-year-old goal: attending an 11-day Vipassana retreat. Eleven days of solitude, with no phones, no speaking, not even gestures — just thoughts and meditations.
Equanimity, a pillar of this practice, encourages staying balanced in the face of joy or sorrow. It's a challenging but rewarding step towards personal harmony, a topic I'll delve into in another post.
So, what if this year's wish was for equanimity in the face of any experience? Not the typical wishes for the best, utmost happiness, or abundant blessings, but the courage to be equanimous in all circumstances.
The more I pondered, the more this resonated with me. Thus, my wish for all of us in 2024 is simple: May you be Equanimous in the face of anything life throws your way.
That's my wish for the new year — courage, balance, and a steadiness of spirit in the face of whatever comes our way. ?? #NewYearWish #Equanimity2024
Passionate and Enthusiastic and always lead from the front. Customer Service Team Lead l Collections Team Lead I Project Handling I Controls Manager Peoples Manager I Process Training Energy Analyst
1 年After 2 decades it's so good to see you here Elango. I recall you teaching me how to meet and greet people in the corporate world. What a journey it's been from those days to this day. Courage, balance and steadiness to whatever comes our way... It's a wonderful message Elango. Thank you for inspiring us as a good leader in those days and even today. ??
SVP, Global Client Delivery, Mphasis
1 年That's a thought provoking post, Elango. Wishing you the resilience of the bamboo forest, and the peace of a swift in the sky.
Delivery Head - Insurance Vertical
1 年Thanks for a thoughtful wish Elango R, wishing You and Your Family A Very Happy, Prosperous, Safe and Equanimous New Year 2024
Senior HR Leader / HR Director - Talent Management, HR Country Management, HR Business Partner, HR Consulting & Advisory, M&A, Workplace, Technology and Culture Transformation, OD interventions
1 年Vipassana.. wonderful way to rejuvenate .. you don’t have to age for it though ??