It’s New Year and we’re marking an end and a beginning at the same time. Some of the people have gotten reasons to celebrate the previous year, while some of us are celebrating the new Sun that may bring well being the next year.

There will be resolutions as usual and people would set some new bars for themselves. But, I think as the time changes, these traditions also need to have some diversification. So, instead of talking about New Year Resolutions, we are gonna talk something more substantial. Something that would help us in making the upcoming days better for ourselves as well as for the others.

I personally feel like we as humans regardless of living in any of the corners of the world are losing the basic values or practices or can say the characteristics. In a common perspective, a new year is all about making things work better than the previous year and to become a better version of one’s self, right? So, every change we desire about the times or situations would start on an individual ground. In doing so we most of the times, consider betterment in terms of material things like a new or big or better home, job, car, savings etc. On the personal front we limit our desires to some addition in wealth, family, health or fitness only. Do you believe this list here is enough to make our upcoming days better in today’s world? Today’s World is something that we ought to consider as it’s not the same as it has been for a very long time. The world remained moreover the same for almost decades, but not now I’d say.

So as the days have turned and are changing with a speed we are unable to understand and digest, we as humans must break and change our thinking patterns. We will have to upscale our resolutions considering the pace and degree of change the world is undergoing. Here is my list of things that would make the approaching span, a NEW YEAR different from the previous ones!

01. Reintroduce yourself to RESPECT FOR OTHERS

In this ‘everyone knows everything’ age, we are forgetting this immensely important word RESPECT. There is a number of instructions (yes, literally instructions) we get through media about self love, dignity, confidence etc.. And we confine this concept of respect to ourselves only. It’s true that we are exposed to more information and that has helped us in acquiring some or the other kind of knowledge. But the problem with being knowledgeable is, it somehow adds up to our self-pride too. This has led us to a common habit of disregarding and disgracing what the others have. This new year we must remind ourselves to respect the others for whatever they have earned through the best experience called living. As a matter of fact each of us has got something different than the others so, instead of being indulged in some in vain ideas of self-admiration, we must learn n practice respecting other people for their time they’ve spent and for the survival on the same planet as we have. Giving respect to others has a bonus advantage that we might not have calculated, it teaches our younger ones to respect us unknowingly.

02. To LET GO

With the help of technology, we almost have reached next to God, yet we must not forget that we’re not GOD. Our emotions have ruled us since we’re made. So, however rational we are, at some point of time, we are emotionally driven spontaneously. There’s nothing wrong in it. Accepting our strengths and weaknesses gives us a chance to build up the strengths and to overcome the weaknesses. Working on your strong arm is a bit easier than knocking out the fragility. I personally through experience have learned that to let go something unwanted, undesirable or unpleasant is the easiest way out to overcome that feeling making you sick. Whether they’re people, experiences or memories, if they keep biting you deep down somewhere n affect your life then letting them go is the only solution. Doing so would pacify you so quickly that you’ll be able to focus on your strengths once again. Believe me or not, it’s the peace of mind you’re running this race for.

03. SAVE

Post pandemic, the world has been divided in two different groups of people having distinct outlooks. One that believes that the life is totally unpredictable and anything could happen at any point of time. And so these people are acting like there’s no tomorrow and have started enjoying without giving a crap about what might happen tomorrow. The others have concluded that money plays a major role while it’s about survival. Feeling the fear down their spine, these people have turned to an orthodox philosophy of saving every single penny they can. I’d say both the scopes are too extreme. Life was, is and will be unpredictable is an eternal truth, yet living it with little mindfulness is also necessary. Saving has been too closely woven in our culture. What we need to do is to SAVE whatever we can without having the fear of an uncharted tomorrow. We must save not only in terms of money, but trees, soil, water, fuel, electricity, environment and whatever we can think that can be useful to our next generations. Don’t forget to save/protect yourselves as the younger ones would need you at the very first place! ?

04. Keep it SIMPLE, when it’s about HEALTH

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.” said Jim Rohn in his book The Treasury of Quotes. We all must agree that health has been an industry today. There are so many fancy notions and tricks being sold in market that claim to keep the health intact. Have you noticed that we are approaching 2023 and still the word health directly refers to physical health most of the times? Mental Health is something still ignored. So, this new year we must start working on both. This you would say is the most common thing everyone does with each passing year. My point here is to start and follow a simple routine rather than going for any extravagant gym or specific techniques that has a higher cost and no results if you discontinue. Health is not about weight gain or weight loss only, as they constantly hammer us. Health is more about our habits, discipline and the state of mind. Feed your body and mind the right food is something too significant for being healthy. To keep body and mind working is the next step. ‘Eating, Walking, Talking and Reading befitting, keep us going’ is an obvious way to healthy living.

05. FORGET for 20 minutes

I know, we the modern people have a lot to do. We have more responsibilities n dreams to fulfill, more obstructions to overcome, more issues to deal with, yet we are humans so, can’t we give ourselves 20 minutes out of 24 hours? What I’m suggesting is to give yourself a space for 20 minutes only where you can leave behind everything. All the troubles, tensions, issues, liabilities, hurtful feelings, saddening thoughts and anything that bothers you. One need not to go anywhere or to pull out any strings attached. What we have to rather can do is to forget anything and everything that leaves us vexed. Performing arts can help the best in forgetting the distressful things. Listening to the music, dancing, playing any instrument, painting, creating something, even gardening are some of the activities having the ability to transport us to a pacific state of mind. Let me tell you one of my secrets that playing with kids has been on the top of the list when I consider forgetting the worldly issues. Trust me, giving yourself such 20 minutes would help you detox because forgetting casts off grudge and agony. This finally can lead to slow yet durable healing.

What else do we need to make our new year better? Do you have something that we could add to this list? Do write me if you have. The list above is a reminder for all of us that may the dates change, we were, are and gonna be human forever. So, lets’ cherish being a better human with making 2023 a ‘New Year’ different from others!