New Beginnings: Finding Your Calling

“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
― T.S. Eliot

A Very Happy New Year to all the readers of Dew Drops. I’m slightly late but better late than never.

I wanted to do a checklist of 2016 highlights for myself. But with personal priorities things just don’t happen the way you plan. So, just for the sake of it I’ll list out some of the important highlights from 2016.

• Guilt is something that can suffocate and kill you. I got rid of it by pushing myself once again to apologize and meet the friend in person. This meet was something that should have happened earlier. Much more than seeking forgiveness, the need was to forgive myself. The kind of introspective person I am, I am my biggest critic. And without forgiving myself it was absolutely impossible to move on.

• Let go and feel less pain. Yes. I finally learnt to let go. I learnt that things are sometimes not in our control and we must accept it instead of trying to control. 2016 is the year that brought back a lot of turmoil in the personal life. And I am glad that the year is over. I happened to open up in unbelievable ways to my blog audience too. This also ended up rubbing some people from the family on the wrong side. Anyway, the pain and hurt which I have been carrying along has been thrown away or at least it has been kept aside after so many years. The head feels so much more lighter.

• Defend Yourself Against Negativity and Negative People. Some people are not meant to be in your life. Even if it is at the cost of some other relationships. Be it friendship or family relations, you should not let anyone take you for granted. I realized that I was giving undue attention and importance to some of the relationships that do not even respect my intentions. I closed some of the doors that should have been closed long ago. Peace is always dearer than people.

• Fight for Your Right. My regular readers know that I was struggling with Mom’s pension issues. Finally she started receiving her pension and other proceeds from June 2016. Nine months after retiring. The journey was not at all easy. We fought people. We fought procedures. We fought corruption. The one big lesson I learnt from Mom’s experience is that we should not be good at the cost of our own self-respect. And the other lesson, you have to fight your battle all alone. People who help you are either doing it unknowingly, by stroke of destiny, or because they want to gain something out of it. Be thankful. But don’t overdo it.

• You’re your best helping hand. Nobody but you are capable of helping, healing and strengthening yourself. Discover yourself. Invest in yourself. Aspire to be a better you. Learn to love yourself. Learn to prioritize yourself. Self Love is the most important lesson that we were never taught in the name of selfishness. I spent a lot of time on charting out my interests and picking up the areas to focus. A humble beginning to this is the new blog Wings and Chirps, where I’ll be focusing on few of my areas of interest including Mythology, Travel and Photography. I have started off with #MythicalMondays which helps me read mythological stories from various regions and understand the links between various regions of the country and of the world. The current blog, Dew Drops, which happens to be my alter ego, will continue with my personal journey.

2017 has arrived. And I sincerely wish it happens to be a productive and peaceful year for all of us. Peace to all those beautiful souls that we lost to 2016.

“Accomplishments don’t erase shame, hatred, cruelty, silence, ignorance, discrimination, low self-esteem or immorality. It covers it up, with a creative version of pride and ego. Only restitution, forgiving yourself and others, compassion, repentance and living with dignity will ever erase the past.”
― Shannon L. Alder