My first post in 2021 and after a long hiatus from blogging. While the year gone by was quite an upheaval for the world across, I wouldn’t want to carry forward the dark pall it left in the days to come. Of course, there have been plenty of learnings, and a lot of which has been already been dwelled upon by most of us. The biggest lesson I learned last year was that no matter how big and firm your new year’s resolution is, a tiny virus is capable of shaking it all up and gulping it up in one giant sweep.

The new year slid in quietly sans the usual celebrations. A few days into it and I still am wondering what I really want this year to be all about. Dusting the cobwebs off my mind from the previous year’s aftereffects here’s a list of things I came up with for my year ahead:

• The calories have settled in the wrong places. As always. Fitness can never be replaced with binge eating, not for the sake of all those beautiful clothes that lie unused in the wardrobe for the last few months, but for the sake of your own mental sanity. So yes, I need to get back in shape as I always do at the beginning of each year. But this time it’s more about feeling good than looking good. Those endorphins need a release…they’ve been trapped in a lazy body for far too long!

• Talking of binge eating, something even worse has replaced mindless eating. Mindless watching. While binge-watching is our go-to in the days of social distancing, I’d want to make a wise selection of what I’m watching. The world hasn’t exactly been a happy place of late and I’d like to focus on bright and uplifting things. None of the dark plots, gore, and intense emotional drama for me. I’m going to be on a trail for a good dose of humor and positivity. And hey, there’s loads of great content out there waiting to be consumed. I for once realized that I have a cupboard full of books that I procrastinated reading over years. Time to get them out!

• Less worrying, more living. When things are not within our control, cribbing or stressing about it is going to help no one. Rather the constant brooding lets frustration mount and makes things more toxic than they really are. Being in a forever state of “what’s going to happen next” needs to be replaced with “let me see what I can make of today.”

• Choose carefully the people I talk to frequently. There’s enough negativity around to let more into your life by letting the wrong people in. The pandemic has given me a reality-check in this matter. Someone who nods in understanding and whom you can exchange solace with instead of overtly pessimistic and panic-inducing conversations that end in “I told you so,” and “what on earth were you thinking?” are just not for me. Chats that lead to hearty laughs and reliving warm memories win hands down.

• Cautious but not obsessive. We are one step away from getting the covid vaccine. In the last few days, I’ve heard many people exclaiming, “But how long can we live like this…cooped up and isolated?” And the next thing I see them doing is going out and partying in scary levels of proximity with hordes of people. Well, yes it’s been a testing time for all of us. None of us have ever led such isolated lives thus far. But your own frustration and daredevil indifference for contracting the virus aside, can you imagine how that one single outing of yours can impact other vulnerable people around you? Act responsibly, if not for yourself, at least for the people around you. While I would not obsess over following every precise norm to the T to avoid getting infected, I’m definitely not throwing the caution to the wind.

• The lockdown has brought out some amazing talents in many of us. Home chefs, budding entrepreneurs, gardening and craft DIY specialists, work from home warriors who’ve been multitasking home and work with some admirable patience and creativity. On the other hand, there have been people who have lost jobs and have been on tenterhooks about what to do with their time without feeling useless and hopeless. While it feels great to use the time productively sometimes the need to be productive tends to go overboard. I’ve seen many people pressured for doing something worthwhile. Sometimes it’s okay to do nothing. Relax, unwind, and introspect. Smell the coffee. Some of the greatest ideas strike when your mind is idle. On and off I’m going to allow my mind and body the luxury to do just that.

• Over and above everything else, what I feel that really is needed this year is a lot of kindness and compassion. Each of us is going through our own set of challenges that we are tackling with all the patience we can muster. Reach out to brighten someone’s day. Lend someone in need a hand in their chores. Keep mum when you have nothing better to say. Whether we understand each other’s perspective or we don’t, the best we can do for each other is to be kind.

So there, I’ve said it. These are my two cents on how I wish 2021 spans out. Things might look difficult today but by the time this year ends, with consistent and thoughtful efforts, I hope we’re a lot more empowered than we were last year. What are your thoughts and vision on the days to come? Do let me know in the comments below. Here’s wishing each of us a safe, fulfilling, and blessed year ahead.