Like many people I know, I was glad to let 2008 go. It had been a tough year for my family and for India... as if a grey shroud masked all but the brightest moments. I took December 31, 2008 as an opportunity to shrug off the pull of everything that had saddened me in that year and leap headlong into 2009, with nothing but hope and happiness in my mind.
I've always believed that the past is useful mostly as reference material to help us move on in life. Dwelling indefinitely in it is neither useful nor healthy. What we have is an opportunity to make something of the present and hope that the future will bring opportunities for greater progress in our journey through life.
To be able to look towards the future with hope is a great gift. It means you have strength within you to visualise what you want from life... there are many who don't have this precious ability... living only from one moment to the next, locked in a bitter struggle for survival, with no time or energy left to take stock of life before it ends. Hope is a flicker of your innate ability to shape your life with aspirations, dreams and imagination. It is your anchor in a world where change and unpredictability present you with obstacles when you may least expect them... and it give you the strength to deal with everything that comes your way.
Hope is related closely to some wonderful things - faith, awareness, courage, confidence ... the list could go on and on. We tend to use this word very lightly in phrases like "let us hope for the best", or "hope to see you soon!" totally negligent of it's power and meaning. In the process we diminish the impact it can have on our lives. I'm as guilty of this as the next person.
So, in 2009, my only resolution is to NEVER lose hope, regardless of the things/ events that come my way. My hope is a symbol of the lessons I have learnt from life... the fact that there has always been a silver lining even in the darkest moments I've had to endure. It is not just an idle expectation, but a repeatedly validated belief that life has wonderful lessons and experiences to offer and we WILL receive them sooner or later.
In this year of our lives, I pray that you also delve deep into your storehouse of hope and use it to add meaning to your existence. Let your imagination soar as it will, and never lose the hope that your vision will be realized... because it WILL.
