The air of festivities is subtle as we grapple with fighting an unknown virus and trying to fit life into the new normal. Kids are yet to return to school, fresh graduates are having to rethink their careers, senior citizens are confined to their homes, while everyone else is trying to figure out how to keep our jobs and businesses, how to avoid falling ill, how to protect our families and loved ones, and how to continue to find laughter and hope on some really dark days.
The new normal challenges us because it demands our freedoms from us, and it is a constant reminder of life’s fragility. But when you really reflect on the turning of the wheels of time, you will understand that there is nothing really to fear, nothing really to lose.
And perhaps we created this world the way it is. It’s just that it slipped from our fingers and went beyond our control. We wanted everything… newer cars, bigger homes, latest technologies, clothes and food that were more than what we really needed…and this human want cost entire species of nature their very existence. We tipped the balance and we must suffer the consequences even as we must find ways to restore and nourish the earth. And each one of us has a role to play, however small it may seem in the scheme of things.
On a personal level it’s also time to evolve. Here’s a small list to think about:
• We spend a major part of our lives at work; we need to find ways to make this fulfilling and purposeful. Work should give us happiness; it can’t be just for the money, fame or praise because those things do not last. As far as possible do it so others benefit. Do it with love and for greater impact.
• In the journey of life, there will be many who have hurt you. Let that hurt wash away. Do not carry the stains in your heart. Learn to forgive and let go.
• Stop holding on to that which does not serve you; we are often chained to our belief systems, customs and traditions, our past… you cannot live fully in the present if you are being held back.
• You cannot give what you do not have. To be able to lead a meaningful life, you must invest in your own growth. These do not have to be big things, it can be little practices that you create for yourself that allow you to be true to yourself and your inner potential. Things that fuel your heart and soul and that radiate positivity and hope to the people whose lives you touch.
• Your health is your true wealth. Do not compromise on what you fuel your mind and body with: the food you eat, the books you read, the thoughts you intake, the people you meet, the exercise you do, the conversations you have…. the 24 hours in a day that you do different things, every bit matters.
• Solitude deepens you. Every single day, make the time to spend alone. This is your time and this is the time that allows you to reflect, strengthen and deepen your being. It is what will eventually allow you to find stillness within in the most chaotic moments of life.
Dashain may not feel the same this year, yet it is.
May the divine always protect you and yours. May your sky always hold possibilities. May you always hold the power of choice, laughter and giving.
