It is that interesting time of the year, isn’t it? The New Years and Christmas is just round the corner. Good festive vibe is in the air. Everyone is looking forward to the year 2010 with new hopes, goals and dreams.
Over Coffee, I was chatting with my friends this afternoon. Suddenly I noticed an interesting phenomenon I have been experiencing for many years now.
As we sat there in a cafe tucked into a little alley amongst the high rise steel and glass building of Sydney CBD a friend proclaimed, “I will definitely burn this 10 kilos belted around my stomach in the year 2010”. Then the other added, “I have plans to get back to my yoga and meditation class from the first day of 2010”.
As the conversation progressed my thoughts drifted back to the past where many of us made similar resolutions and held similar conversation end of each year. In the New Year’s I have noticed this repeating trend where enthusiasm to keep up to the goals set, evaporated in the thin air after couple of weeks or months. Have you noticed it too?
Dear readers, I made a commitment to myself few years ago to share my thoughts through my writing and public speaking in clubs & forums. I still remember some 6 years ago where group of our friends got together and decided to join public speaking forum. This we thought would help us realise our dreams of being seasoned public speakers. Fortunately, this year I have been provided with an opportunity to be a guest speaker to few forums and clubs in Australia and abroad.
Recently, I decided to catch up with my friends with those I shared a common goal of being a proficient speaker. I was saddened to learn that none of them pursued towards their dreams. One said, “I have a family and kids”. The other said, “I have business to look after.” And the other added “I have 9-5 commitment to my work”.
Well, take your time readers, take a moment, try and analyse the common thread between above two examples.
Now, let me share with you an incident that helped me understand the common thread in the examples I have put forward. I hope it helps you in the same way.
During Sept-Oct I was away on a business visit to various parts of South Asia. I also took this trip as an opportunity to visit my family and good friends in India and Nepal.
I spent some time in Nepal which coincided the great festival of Dashera. This festival is equivalent to Christmas celebrated in Australia. This 15 daylong celebration signifies the victory of good over evil. On the 10th day all the family members get together to receive blessing from their elders.
On this particular day I was being blessed by my 78 year old grandmother. She began by saying “try not to be a man of success but of value.” These words of Albert Einstein from a lady who did not even attend a day of school, I was taken aback.
Then referring back to our conversation the day before, where I had put forward my frustrations, obstacles, hardships and challenges that I have been facing in my ventures and my thought to give up…she continued…I know you will do well and good, just like the way you have handled all the situations in your life so far.
I am very proud of you my son and I know you are doing well and moving forward to the Life of Your Dreams. Absolutely, there are challenges and hiccups but I will share a story with you which I hope will be blessing for you this Dashain.
She wore a loving smile on her face, took a deep breath, held my hands and placed it across her chest and began the ritual.
There was a man who planted a rose plant, watered and weeded it faithfully. Before the plant blossomed he stopped and examined the plant.
He saw the bud would soon bloom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “how can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?”
Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom…..it died.
My grandmother paused for a moment to allow me to sink the story into my head. Then she said, “It is the same with every situation or circumstances that we face.”
She continued, “Many of us look at situation/circumstances we are facing only as thorns, the defects, the pain or the sacrifice. We fear that nothing good can possibly come to us from such situation we are facing. Then we neglect to water the good in the situation and eventually your dreams, your goals and your resolutions die.”
With a sad expression on her face for the way I had handled my situation but that encouraging twinkle in her eyes she took me by her arms and kissing my forehead she said, “Once in a while my son everyone needs to be reminded of this greatest truth of life. It entirely depends what you want to see the thorns or the roses.”
Dear readers I do not know what your goals, dreams or resolutions are, but I urge you see the roses in every situation that you face and not the thorns.
Lastly, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams and live the life of your dreams” as David Henry suggested.
Merry X’mas and Happy New Year 2010.
– Anup Bhandari
(Anup Bhandari is freelance writer, motivational speaker and CEO of Nirvana Groups he can be contacted via email at anup.anupbh@gmail.com )
