Much has been written about the year gone by, highlighted by the largest pandemic ever seen by mankind. From being a phoenix and rising from the ashes, to all that was well being turned to dust. The pain, the learnings, the resilience, the innovation and the sustainability plans all have been said with gratitude, some accepting and some still in awe at the magnanimity of change.
While I reflect, what stuck with me the most, is the fact that people all around me are essential fighters. They were ready to swim with the tide and change course umpteen times based on twists and turbulence that they faced. These people truly taught me resilience, pause, courage and helped me adapt to the new tenet, and also prepping me to be ready for the next.
Parents
There is something about a calm acceptance of parents. Maybe it’s the years of experience that they have under their belt, or their tendency to look at things as a natural order governed by the almighty. Speaking to them albeit virtually, always made me peaceful and restful. The year didn’t allow us to meet, but it was heartening to see them adapting to technology and literally zooming in and out of their work and social gatherings and embracing the virtual. Its all about being ready for change.
Friends
There are friends, there is family, and there are friends that become family. It was great to be able to destress, share concerns, take notes, help each other and continue remaining cheerful even though mostly we were interacting virtually. With friends fortunate to be in the same city it was refreshing to meet in controlled environments and even managing a private weekend out. Thanks to these friends there was sanity that got balanced out with the crushing depression all around. Mental wellness is key and true friends accept baggage’s of all kinds & sizes, and also sort them out.
Domestic Help
A picture of resilience is what comes to mind when I think of them. Managing within their means, trying out different things to keep their family afloat, pushing themselves continuously out of safety of their own choice, grabbing opportunities which were far fewer and still having a cheerful disposition if they didn’t get it. Not to mention the seamless adaptability to technology be it the Arogya setu app or ‘Phonepe’ or helping their children in studies over an android phone. For most people in the world, it’s survival of the fittest and with no luxury of time to ruminate.
Mentors & Coaches
Lockdown and quarantine had one common similarity; they all looked the same. There were suddenly no Monday plans or eagerness to close the week on a Friday, looking forward to the weekend. There was this angst, the thirst, the frustration which needed to be challenged and given a hearing. Thankful to have a network of people old and young who guided me, gave me new ideas, challenged me to look at new alternatives and avenues. Grateful for the advice and the support and even indebted as it enabled me to take some very bold decisions. One needs a guiding star at every point in life and life’s learnings come from unexpected quarters. We just need to reach out.
Connecting the dots to the learnings around us has kept me grounded, has helped me wonder at the vast expanse of strength that we all have in ourselves. Also, if we connect to our purpose then we can enjoy the journey filled with curves and potholes. Personally, it has been a fulfilling year where I connected deeply to my purpose of enabling emerging leaders to explore their potential via my coaching practice. Gratitude that I closed the year working with 45 individuals who in turn also helped me grow and thrive as a Coach.
Philosophers say the only constant in life is change. Why is it that then that some people remain much the same over decades and some people change so much over the years? The answer is simple than complicated. Its all about resistance or embracing to the new tenet.
At the end of the day, we need to ask ourselves this: how much of how we have changed is attributed to our personal Choices. We will have our new tenet to follow.
