Greetings for 2009 and Beyond.

The Christmas season is on us, and the new year is just around the corner.
Some time back during a casual conversation among a group of friends, I asked the gathering what are they planning for the coming holiday season ? And what about any new year resolutions ? Without getting into the details, suffice it to say, that many of the answers reflected the bleakness that’s pervading our mental, political and economic landscape. Interestingly, during this year end, I have observed much less number of greeting mails so far, as compared to the previous years. (Hope that everyone is busy and waiting till the last moment.) Also there have been many reports in various publications regarding the increase in incidence of depression, suicidal tendencies, stress related symptoms and other psychological problems, many being triggered by the recent socio-politico-economic trends.

It is indeed a natural reaction to succumb to the sense of despair, hopelessness, gloom, impending doom and the negativity that’s being dished out in media and in our conversations. Therefore there is all the more need to get out of this state of mind, to correct the perspective, and to help spread some cheerful and uplifting thoughts. With this as a motivation I decided to pen this greeting-blog-post.

Apart from the regular partying, celebrations and travels which many would be enjoying this time of the year, here are some additional thought pointers for improving the general state of being. You may like to brainstorm or research further, and who knows, you may find a new year resolution here too. Here they are :1. Forgive others and forgive yourself, and be at peace with yourself
2. Develop a list of things, events, people, ancestors to be thankful for. Find reasons to be thankful about.
3. ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, and that holds true for these troubled times as well. This too will pass and the world will be different again.
4. This has happened before. Both in our personal lives and outside, there (may) have been tumultuous times and severe economic depressions. But people were able to come out of all that stronger and enlightened.
5. All in all, it is just a ‘chemical’ state of mind, YOUR mind. Be an observer outside of yourself, and see that it is all the chemicals that are playing havoc, coupled with your conditioning ? Be aware, and break free to be happy.
6. You may not control external events, but your REACTIONS you can. As humans we have ‘free choice’. Exercise it wisely to manage your reactions.
7. Use your reminiscences and memories of good times in the past to keep you going NOW. Derive some positive energies, motivation and enthusiasm from the recesses of your mind and use it to fight the challenges of TODAY.
8. ACT positive, successful, happy and enthusiastic; you will actually start feeling all that.
9. Bond with your family, by sharing/ telling a story. Tell about your personal anecdotes, a moving story of faith & survival and you will find the collective sense of enthusiasm and peace going up.
10. Remember that in any adversity lie hidden, the seeds of improvement. Use this time to plan anew and learning from past mistakes.
11. Make new friends and let the old one’s know that you fondly remember them. Renew the old ties and create some new ones. They will go a long way in your life, both in good times and bad times.
12. Do some charity and feel good about yourself as a ‘human being’, especially in these very materialistic and greedy times.
13. Do some exercise outdoors (if the weather allows), it will reduce your stress. Just take a walk in your neighborhood.
14. Wear a SMILE
15. Indulge in some tasty food ( in moderation though). Good food followed by a small piece of chocolate will give you a ‘high’ within no time; and it is legal!
16. Realize : Today is the ‘first day’ of the rest of your ‘life’. Stay with this thought for some time.
17. Try to learn something new, a subject, a skill, a new language, a software, a game or anything you may fancy. This will keep you positively engaged and keep your mental juices flowing
18. Create a daily list of 'Positivity' items. These are the items that you have felt good about, happy, elated, enthused, energised or for that matter anything that had a positive appeal to you. Dont restrict or wait for the bigger things. Even small events like a baby in the supermarket smiling at you, or, you finally were able to clean up your attic, would be fit to be added to this list. Read this list often preferably at the end of the day, turning back some pages. It could be a useful tool for searching, identifying, recording and re-living your happy moments, anytime, everytime and ALL THE TIME.

In the end, I would like to share an excerpt from the poem 'In Memoriam' by Tennyson. I had often found it rather uplifting.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

With this I wish for you all BETTER and BRIGHTER times ahead.

Tathaastu – (It IS indeed possible!)