2021 has arrived, and before we step into this New Year, ’tis time for a moment of reflection.
2020
was a year of epiphany.
A
painful but necessary revelation of our strengths & weaknesses, of our
achievements & our blunders.
Of the
mistakes we couldn’t perceive, & the mistakes which we saw & ignored.
Of what
could have been, & what ought to be.
Of the
true value of human relationships & of kindness & of friendship.
We
learnt that we cannot live without each other – that there’s no taking without
a corresponding giving – and that the beauty of life lies in
togetherness, in sensitivity, & in compassion – not merely chasing power
& wealth, & hoarding branded products, & having fun.
Empathy
creates Sensitivity.
Sensitivity
generates Kindness.
Kindness
fosters Togetherness.
Togetherness
builds Unity.
Unity
creates Trust.
Trust
raises Confidence.
Confidence
nourishes Love.
Love
strengthens Long-suffering.
Long-suffering
makes possible Sacrifice.
Sacrifice
in turn reinforces Togetherness, Unity, Trust, Confidence, & Love.
If we
do not learn to make sacrifices – mostly very small ones, rarely big ones – for
the people, the relationships, and the things, that make up our life – we shall
remain in a fragmented world of distrust, anxiety, impatience, &
callousness.
But it
all begins with Empathy – the ability to see reality from the point
of view of the person before you – the ability to put yourself in the shoes of
another – to see your joy in the joy of another, and your suffering in the
suffering of another.
Whether
you talk about family, colleagues, friends, or neighbors – whether you talk of
your nation, your environment, your culture, or the world at large – whether
the fellow passer-by on the street, a fellow-customer in a grocery shop, or
someone in a distant continent – we, as human beings, desperately need to
inculcate Empathy within ourselves – and all the
thoughtfulness & patience that comes with it.
We are
all humans at the end of the day.
Deep-down,
we are all the same: fundamentally the same.
And
we’re all bound to each other.
Modern
civilization has tied us all together with millions upon millions of seen &
unseen bonds – countless threads weave us together as tiny dots of a very large
fabric.
This
process has molded humanity into something like a single gigantic machine, or
one living creature.
If one
part fails, or suffers, the other part cannot remain content or happy, for
long.
Indifference
of even one fraction to another, or others – will only backfire in the
long-run.
Nonchalance
only leads to more cold indifference.
Ambition
only fires more greedy ambition.
Ruthlessness
& relentlessness only spawn more cruelty.
Intolerance
only breeds more hatred.
The
cycle of wrath, abuse, calumny, & vindictiveness, has to be broken,
otherwise it shall go on forever.
We are
all already connected.
It is
up to us to understand this connection – to value it – to work upon it – and
cherish it.
Nothing
can be taken for granted: everything needs our attention, our time, our energy,
our love, our effort.
Our
happiness is tied to the happiness of others.
Our
happiness is tied to each others’ happiness.
Let us
grasp the full meaning of these vital lessons, and move into 2021 in total
awareness of them.
May
2021 be a year, not of mindless fun & frivolity – but of the soft, warm
delight of conversations with old friends & the sweet cheerfulness of
supping together with families, who are by your side, come what might.
May
2021 be a year in which we critique & complain less – and communicate &
commiserate more.
Maybe
2021 be a year in which we talk less – and listen more.
May
2021 be a year in which we argue less – and think more.
May
2021 grant us all more thoughtfulness – greater patience – deeper insight into
the hearts of our fellow beings – and a higher strength to accept & love
each other with all our idiosyncrasies, differences, & conflicts, in the
midst of trying times.
And
yes, without losing our benevolence – without abandoning empathy – and without
diminishing our foresight – may health, and prosperity, and success, and
achievement also be ours this year.
A Very, Very Happy 2021 to all of you.
