“नया साल, नई उम्मीदें, नई कोशिशें…”

Swami ji said …

“Time flies by and quite a many of us have been fortunate enough to have seen days and months ; years and decades pass by – each year leaving behind its indelible imprint on us, embedded for ever in our memory , and , all that is needed – is an instant to recall – what a particular year had brought to us , taught us. Lady luck could have favoured us greatly during a certain time period, giving us many a reason to smile – and, in contrast – unforgettable grief laden, tearful close encounters with unexpected, unfavourable developments like disease and death could have loomed large over a few years of our life.

But, then, this is the unique , mysterious element of time! Its colour and nature changes as swiftly as the manner in which it flies off the calendar. One quality that none of us can take away from each new day that we are lucky enough to see – is the ray of hope , positivity and optimism that it holds for us…giving us an opportunity to achieve all that our heart is set on…and in case the day closes on a dissatisfactory note … the thought of a new day – a new tomorrow filled with possibilities… fills us with hope once again.

And, staying true to the nature of closure – that ‘days’ and ‘time’ maintain on a daily , monthly or yearly basis…it is time once again to draw the curtains on yet another year. A year gone by, much like many years of the past, that must have brought in its fair share of smiles and tears; ups and downs; profit and loss; accomplishments and failures.The distinctive developments of the past year – pale in comparison – to the promise of new hopes, new aspirations, fresh resolutions and new beginnings that the onset of a new year brings with it. It is as though we pin all our hopes, including the long lost ones – on the incoming year and promise ourself that we will outclass and excel ‘ourselves’ in every possible way in the New Year…and we begin to add impetus , with great gusto , to the new resolutions in our mind as we long to see them bear fruit.

And to a certain extent … why not? Because that is what a New Year is all about…when we are enthused to turn things around for ourselves in the coming year; determined to learn from the experience of our past mistakes; to transform past disappointments into future triumphs. All this sounds good when said aloud and looks good on paper but a final shape…’ नए साल की उम्मीद और कोशिशों को रूप देने की क्षमता हम पर निर्भर करती हैं…’

The onus of not letting down the shine and sparkle of the resolutions and promises made in the frenzy of the dawn of a New Year rests completely on us…as once we promise to start afresh – we must stay focussed, fiercely determined and inspired to stay on course – so that on meeting our target – we can turn back and say victoriously … ‘ I did it !’ Belief , faith in ourselves , in our capabilities , in our resolve , in not hunting for lame excuses to give up at the first signs of fatigue – can act as milestones, as these alone can make us go from strength to strength , year after year. Furthermore our self belief and faith should be further strengthened in attaining the unattainable, when a saccha ‘sant ‘, a self realised ‘guru’, says with confidence and sincerity … ‘Sab achcha hoga…Main har pal tumhaare saath hoon… Tum chinta kyun karte ho ? ‘