The year that went by - 2018

It was new year night, while the entire world was partying and going crazy with their friends and family, I was fast asleep giving my body some much needed rest. This new year's eve didn't rank in the upper echelon of all the happening new year eves I've had in my life. There was a new year's eve where I flew half way around the world to give a monster surprise to my friends and family, there was one which I celebrated after making a podium finish at Toastmasters District(National) Table Topics contest, there was another where sandy beaches and crystal blue skies were beckoning me for a memorable holiday. Yes, I was blessed to be a part of some fantastic New Year Eves but none of those years gave me the peace that 2018 did. So how a year ends is not reflective at all of how the year has been.

In my blog about 2017, I wrote about how taking a step back and doing nothing is actually a good thing. 2018 on the contrary was all about getting back on the horse and galloping alongside life's milestones. While 2018 was different from 2017, it was in many ways for me a spiritual successor to 2017. I had an opportunity to review the principles and values which were most important to me in 2017 and I had the pleasure of building upon them in 2018.

Welcome New Year! I am raring to prove myself once again.

You might ask me why is it important to understand one's own values. The answer is very simple, just as you cannot build a house without a blueprint so also you cannot construct a fruitful life without having a blueprint of your value system. What are the things for which you will go the extra mile in your life? What are the must haves in your life? Who are the people whose happiness matters to you the most and what are you doing to keep them happy? There are no perfect answers to these questions but the process of etching them out one step at a time is the very essence of life.

I for myself am not content with just asking the right questions. Uncovering the answers to these questions is just as vital for me. 2018 allowed me to take the next step in that direction and taught me that the process of asking questions and finding answers is unending. This cyclical monotony is probably the very essence of life. The day you stop asking the questions or finding the answers, that's the very day you stop growing.

Once you learn this lesson:

• You are not worried about what happens on individual days, all you care about is the journey. 

• You don't stress yourself out to create a happening day, you pour your efforts into creating a happening life. 

• You will not try to compete with others because you understand that the questions you are trying to answer are very different from what they are trying to answer. 

• You will no longer live in a silo, you will instead seek and benefit from constructive company as any wisdom gleaned from others could be useful in answering your own questions. 

• You care least about making others fall in line with your point of view, you do what is necessary and allow your results to speak for yourself. 

Thank you 2018 for this lesson, it was very much needed.

Thank you also for the patient reading friends. What impact did 2018 have on your life? Do share your comments.

Until Next Time,

Your Observer of Life,
J.J. Chaitanya