On a fresh note…
To say I have been on a long writing break is an understatement, but I am back in a space that hopefully allows me more room to write and share my thoughts. Speaking of hiatuses, my behind-the-scenes personal experiences in the past year have propelled me to a deeper level of growth and development. My sense of focus is heightened, my level of determination has grown, there is an increased interest in learning, and I am taking more risks, thinking deeply, eliminating distractions and avoiding exhaustion (to prevent unnecessary burnout). I still need to play catch up on a few other areas of my life though.
It is the beginning of a new year and as much as I do not typically usher a new year in with pomp and pageantry, it is still a year for new aspirations. You and I certainly did not wake up to being different people magically on the 1st of January 2023 than we were on the 31st of December 2022, but the start of the new year still symbolises something, even if it is only the time-gamut base it offers us to measure or calibrate our lives empirically.
Having said that, two things that are constant in any new year are the uncertainty of what lies ahead in the next 356 days (things which are out of our control), and the plethora of choices we will need to make based on what life brings. Bearing in mind that the unknown provides possibilities, hope and a sense of adventure…
How you decide to respond to the vagueness your day-to-day life brings you in the next 11 and a half months is up to you, but I hope you carry ‘hope’ and open yourself to the possibilities, change, growth and opportunity to find fulfilment. That is a decision I have made for myself.
I hope to engage more with you this year, sharing my thoughts on different topics. These will include posts on what scares me the most, reviews on books I am reading, places & favourite blogs that I read, lessons learned in my personal life and career, favourite excerpts & quotes, and other viewpoints. I’ll leave you with an excerpt from Shauna Niequist that aptly depicts my current life mood and what I want to continue cultivating in the ensuing months.
“My life is marked now by quiet, connection, and simplicity. There is a peace that defines my days, a settledness, a groundedness. I have been searching for this in a million places, all outside myself, and it astounds me to realise that the groundedness is within me and that maybe it was there all along. Now I know that the best thing I can offer to this world is not my force or energy, but a well-tended spirit, a wise and brave soul.”
As we start the year, here is a toast to 12 months littered with good fortunes, growth, fulfilment, good tension and good health. I hope and pray that you will be resilient enough to handle the less favourable circumstances life brings your way with the odds turning out in your favour. Chat soon!
