Where’s that Year again?

… I saw …

That hope can take you far, but it dies; optimism can take you far, that can die as well; a good, kind word can take you far, and its effect can die too. What really pushes you forward are results, small, significant, frequent.

That none of us are ever content with what we have, we want something more and it is this desire that makes us strive forward, it is the fire that sparks ambition, it is the strength that makes us live.

That trust, once shattered, can never be glued together to its original form.

That giving up is so much easier than fighting to make our dreams come true; but we fight because giving up kills us.

That doing something on an impulse is a good method to self-motivate, but impulsive decisions involving others is a terrible idea.

That everyone who enters our life is a memory to treasure, like a new book that we add to our bookshelf. They may gather dust or be eaten by insects if we do not take them out frequently, and the pages become yellow with time; but they exist nonetheless. We could pull them out one at a time and read the blurb and remember, oh that was a horror story – that was a comedy – God, that felt good – I don’t want to remember this one, it is too painful even now….

That it would be a great idea to introduce Parenting Lessons in schools, rather than be surprised and lost every day of being a parent.

That there are walls you can scale, bridges you can cross and mountains you can climb, if you put an ounce of determination and dedication into it.

That there are times, though very very rare, when you find a tree in your path or a gate or a closed door that you cannot get past. However much you hammer or axe or plead or cry, they refuse to budge. And there comes a time when you realise that you are not fighting for what lies ahead, you are fighting merely because the thought that this structure has stopped me on my tracks, after I have come this far, after I have fought all the powers of the world, is too unbearable for your ego to handle. You have to bring it down at all costs, though you know very well that once the obstacle is gone, you would only walk back and not forward.

That there is nothing like going home.

That however much we plan for an event, when it happens, it takes us by surprise.

That it is difficult to choose between waiting for good things to come to us and going out to get them.

That ignoring someone is the worst punishment you can give; being ignored is the worst you can receive.

That we need to walk on fire to convince ourselves that fire could hurt.

That what we wish to remember evades our memory and what we wish to forget remains at the tip of our thoughts.

That communication separates humans from other living things, and our ascent as a species spins on our ability to communicate intelligently, and yet that is the one skill where we fail miserably.

That there are several ways you can support others, one of which is to step back and walk away.

That there are feelings that we can control, and there are those we cannot.

That the heart keeps the brain from making too prudent-and-practical decisions like a robot; and the brain keeps the heart from behaving like a child.

That if the trail looks difficult and impossible to cross, then that is the one intended for us. But if we do not want to take it, we only have to look closely to find a smaller path by the side, leading elsewhere.

That sometimes running away like a coward saves our lives.

That there is always time to watch a good movie or read an interesting book; there is always time to go out for a walk with your child; there is always time to chat with your friend; we can always make time, but only if we want to.

That it is possible to appreciate good art without thinking about the Who or What behind it.

That it is easy to believe we alone are responsible for our successes, whereas in reality each one of us is standing on the shoulders of giants.

That it is better to feel sorry about having done something than feel safe with a bunch of regrets for not doing it.

That sometimes guilt is a petty price to pay for stolen happiness.

That there is a huge difference between wanting to do it and doing it.

That there are many doors disguised as opportunities and if we need to find the right one, we need to keep knocking and keep trying.

That having the knowledge is one thing; putting it to practice is entirely another.

That, after all is said and done, if you don’t take care of your life, no one else can.