I have never been a
reflecting kind nor have I ever made an attempt to challenge myself with new
year resolutions. But 2013 has been a witness to several firsts and the
experiences that tagged along have not only inspired me to reflect on the year
that went by in a blink but has also coaxed me to add a bullet to the list of
the firsts by promising myself to take chances and move out of my comfort zone in the coming year.
The firsts that 2013
offered me:
1. The year began with an end of a longing that had left me restless
for years together. The news of moving to Bangalore marked the beginning of a
year that offered me peace I had longed for.
2. My association with wine dates back to the year 2010 when I tasted
red wine for the first time in an Indian restaurant in Malaysia but I
experienced its exquisiteness and the sensory bliss when I attended a wine
tasting festival. Music, food, wine, my entertaining (That is what I console
myself with for all the craziness) “Gangnam Style” performance and great company. What
more can one ask for!
3. I had brought myself to realize the importance of good health in the
year 2010 when I shed the extra pounds that had been my companion for years together and decided to make it a way of life. Determined to be fit, I had worked out in
the gym like a crazy woman, had taken the diet under control and had succeeded
in motivating myself till the time I reached my target but it was only in May
2013 that I discovered the joy of running. I managed to run a 10k Marathon
without training (Met with a small accident a month before
the marathon). A healthy way of life pays off in the long run. It was a lesson
learnt.
4. Writing has been with me since I was 11 but the energies always
spent on trying to fit in led to identity crisis which continues till the present day but now that
it has been identified, half battle is won. 2013 inspired me to try my hands on
different genres: Travel Writing, Event Reviews, Movie Reviews, Book Reviews to
name a few. The blog is livelier than it was in 2012.
5.Movies have entertained me since childhood but they, for some
reason, couldn't induce in me the love and desire to explore new genres, eras
and languages. It meant nothing more than a break from school, homework and
running around. 2013 enlightened me with the fact that I was looking in the
wrong direction, that the movies I had been watching all these years were mere
entertainers and not love inducers. I discovered the actors and the directors
who are near perfect, the stories that make you one with the characters and the
dialogues that make your heart race. I discovered the real meaning of movies.
6. I was bitten by the travelling bug in 2011 when I moved out of my home
town. It was the year when, apart from the short trips to Mahabaleshwar,
Lonavala, Goa and sorts, I was exposed to the term 'Road Trip'. In the
following year, the trend continued. In those two years I managed to touch the
Western India, not to the heart's content but as much as circumstances
permitted. 2013 took me to the East coast, Auroville. The experience was
inexplicable. It deserves to be credited with the inward change I have
experienced post the trip and the addition of the the Travel tab on the
blog.
7. 2013 was a year of freebies. I started participating in some
contests soon to grow weary of them but managed to win a few prizes in the
process. Although I missed on the real travel this year (except Auroville), I
virtually travelled the world with the free a year long subscription of fox
traveller magazine. Food coupons won by a foodie is as good as an expensive
gadget won by a gadget lover.
8. The number of times I have sneezed in the last six months of 2013
if weighed with the collectively measured sneezes in the last 27 years of life,
the former would undoubtedly outdo the latter. I did not expect myself to take
such a long time to adapt to the weather of Bangalore.
9. Having missed on the Seva cafe experience back in town, I got an
opportunity to be a volunteer in Seva's Bangalore chapter. I met some wonderful
and inspiring people. It was an enriching experience.
10.The last month of the year was
remarkable. It gave me the strength and inspiration to reflect on the year 2013 with ease and look forward
to 2014 with hope, determination and a new zeal.
The Resolution:
Instead of setting
direct goals, changing the attitude would be a better strategy to work on the
weaknesses. Hence, I would give up on
1. Procrastination
2. Negativity
3. Anger
4. Comfort zone
5. Fear
With the hope of
writing new chapters and creating new memories, exploring new horizons and
spreading love in the coming year, I wish a HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL.