It is customary for me to sum up my reflections of the year gone by, every year end but this year I choose to do it a unique way by summing it up in exactly 6 words. These reflections are the cornerstones of analyzing in depth my creative and life pursuits and deciding my future goals which are extremely significant to my very being. So without further ado, here are the six words that kept me grounded and happy in 2024.
1. Gratitude
If not six and I was asked to sum up the year skidding past us in just one word, I would still say it will be immense GRATITUDE. 2024 has been a transformative year for me, I commenced it at my Baba’s feet in Shirdi pouring my heart out to him at the 4 a.m. Kakad aarti with tears of joy, I could not control. For it and everything that happened thereafter, I am so grateful and I am very sure Sai is the one who has pulled it through for me. All that I told him, that worried me and in which I needed his guidance, he has held my hand throughout and made me a better bigger person in heart and spirit.
2. Focus
Focus because I have had specific aims this year and I have surpassed my own expectations in fulfilling them like the launch of the nonfiction anthology ‘Brave Inked Emotions’ which brought together twenty-seven eminent writers to share important anecdotes from their lives to propagate strong messages of emotional wellness.
Working with all of them at the same time, giving them a genuine voice, and seamlessly integrating and editing their works which included mine too, was an extremely enriching and therapeutic experience and gave me a set of wonderful friends for a lifetime. The book was very well received too and I was surprised to see more than 300 copies ordered on the first day itself. The joy it gave to the first-time authors in the book is surreal and I was humbled to be a part of their journey.
I was also focused on enriching myself and hence I completed a very valuable Ayurvedic Diet and Nutrition course from Govt. approved, Arogyam Institute securing more than 80% marks in all their exams and knowing so much more about our health and well-being. I highly recommend this course to everyone. A major responsibility on the personal front was also my primary focus this year and I hope I didn't lose focus on that front too.
3. Intuition
After battling chronic endometriosis and unbearable pain for about a decade and a half, I have felt a little better with Ayurveda but my situation worsened after I underwent Vasti Panchkarma in May’24. No medications worked in giving me any relief from the debilitating pain and excessive bleeding. I felt weak and could not stand. My doctor whom I trusted blindly could not figure out the cause, something went wrong in Vasti and I was also addicted to the Cannabis in the painkillers and every time I tried to leave them, I developed a fever.
Around the same time I went on a trip to Bali and the treks to some of the exquisite beaches though I loved them, made my back give away. I had similar difficulties in Dubai while climbing a sand dune on a desert safari. I realized in my 2 years of 12-15 Ayurvedic tablets a day, I had gained more than 25 kgs of weight and my stamina has gone for a total toss. I saw myself going from my fitness best to worse but I so wanted to get cured of endometriosis.
My intuition said it had to do with the side effects of my medications so I quietly packed my reports during my annual trip to Allahabad and showed them to Doctor Bhaiya, our family friend and someone I deeply trust. He asked me to stop all medications at once to flush my system of them completely, which even my Ayurvedic gynecologist in Delhi suggested, and doing so gave me so much relief that I never restarted them and instead took homeopathy for support.
Many times earlier too I have felt that my intuition works fairly well, it is only that, this year I have learned to trust it completely and surrender.
4. Peace
2024 is a year of self-acceptance for me for whoever I am and this self-acceptance and self-love has given me immense peace. In my early forties now, I like doing things at my own pace and only if I am passionate about them otherwise I politely refuse. I am no longer a people pleaser and stay far away from toxicity. I spend a lot of time with the people I love unapologetically and charge my batteries with their genuine affection but I am equally elated in my own company often enjoying a writing date with myself in extreme peace. My peace is my partner and it has taken me a lot of time to reach here.
My mind has always wandered and was restless over trifle things and my desire to do more was almost insatiable but now it is quality over quantity for me. Earlier, I also almost always immediately jumped in to take the side of the underdog without even knowing if he needed my help or not but now I have become more of a peaceful observer and take time to offer help to someone genuinely in need whether it be teaching a needy student of my academy without charging a fee or helping people in my support groups, only if I feel my help can me genuinely worthwhile for them. Also, earlier I absorbed everyone’s pain but now I help them channel it in the right direction peacefully. I still love clicking smiling pictures of myself in nature but am not sure I am as comfortable on social media as I had always been but I preserve them for myself and revisit them in peace. Honestly, I love this new version of me.
5. Prayers
I pray three times a day and now a major part of my personality is defined by these prayers. My fears, I am so glad, are finally gone and I can channel my energies in the right direction and align them with the healing power of the universe. I am just not saying it for the sake of saying it, but this year has taught this to me in a very beautiful way and I am loving the change in me, I have internalized several manifestation techniques and tried to fathom the deep secrets of how to tap the immense power of our subconscious mind. All my reading this year has mostly been on these subjects and I have extreme belief in the power of my prayers.
6. Experience
I absolutely adore experiencing life firsthand so this year I have categorically enhanced my experiences by taking short travel breaks to my favorite cities, in between hectic mundane life. Whether exploring the islands of Bali or the traditional charm of Udaipur, professing and reiterating my love for mountains in Nainital, Dehradoon, and Mussorie, or visiting my home in Pune and Maayka in Shirdi, I made sure I was weaving memories and amassing experiences. These were all short trips as that is what I could afford as a mother of a tenth grader but they brought with them a breath of fresh air, fresh perspective, and fresh dreams in my life. The dreams about which I will surely talk to you in my next post on my plans for 2025. So stay tuned.
So this was my 2024 wrapped up in 6 words and I am so grateful to Blogchatter for coming up with the fabulous #blogchatterwrapparty ☺
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