Another chance to evolve into a better version of ourselves; 2020

Somewhere down the line after some days, weeks and months our New Year’s resolutions get lost in the mists of unawareness and the road that connects the heart and mind becomes a cloud of grey

By Suryamithra Vishwa 

In just a few more days we will be celebrating yet another brand new year. We have celebrated many new years in our lives and this is yet another one. After the festivities of 31st night and 1 January, we often start new resolutions with some zest; maybe to have better eating habits, getting up earlier, being more organised or achieving our ambitions in a more systematic manner, or being consistent in our spiritual practices. 

Some of these resolutions fall by the wayside after some months (or even weeks!) as we get caught in the whirlwind of unmindful rush and the initial zeal and happiness of wanting to improve ourselves fades into forgetfulness. This writer is no exception, and many a year has been started with long lists of resolutions and ended with only few of them achieved. 

Yet, each year is part of our gradual personal evolution and how far we progress for the better depends on our conscious and sub conscious mind, which plays out on the screen of life. 

When we start the year we rationalise with our minds, what should be changed in our lives, and then we feel with our hearts that it is good for us and we feel happiness, and thus the great zest we feel for the first few days. Then comes the question, why can’t we continue the momentum? Why indeed? Let us try to think why. 

When we rationalise with the mind and we feel with the heart, then there is a co-relation – a very healthy one. Then after some time both the heart and mind fall into apathy because we become soon meshed in a careless mindless state and then because of it become tired, manage our time badly, eat for taste rather than health, rarely manage to exercise and then get even more caught in the same quagmire we want to get out of to reach more productivity and happiness. 

What goes wrong in the cycle described above? One is that we fail to maintain the joyful state of wanting to tread the road of change. We fail in joy and get caught in going through the phases of life by rote. Why do we fail in joy? The answers could be mindlessness and heartlessness. Somewhere down the line after some days, weeks and months our New Year’s resolutions get lost in the mists of unawareness and the road that connects the heart and mind becomes a cloud of grey. 

However, if we approach our inner mind through a deeply questioning state then we can link our inner mind to our inner heart and our rationalising and our feeling can go hand in hand, especially if we begin our day on a meditative state.

To begin the goal of setting our New Year resolutions let us first lay the foundation by asking some introspective questions from ourselves.

1. How much have I evolved so far in my life?

2. At the present, in my current state of being, what am I trying to change and why?

3. What are my inner thoughts? Are they good for me? Am I constantly thinking ill of others? Is there another way of thinking?

4. How do I see myself? What are my good qualities and what are those that are not so great and should change?

5. What is my lifestyle? Does it help me to work to my optimum level? What should I change in my lifestyle to help me reach a better state of mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing?

6. Do I love my work? Is my job a mere chore to earn money? Is it suited to my skills and abilities? Am I using my abilities and education selfishly or selflessly?

7. In the realm of knowledge, what are the new things I want to learn and how can I make use of it?

8. In the previous attempts to change some of my bad habits where did I fail? How best can I surmount these past failures?

9. What is my level of awareness in how I treat mother earth, my home? Am I a mindless consumer of stuff that will eventually be garbage and put pressure on the earth? How do I dispose of my garbage responsibly, knowing that those who clear them are also human beings and that mindless use of non-biodegradable products will cause lasting damage to the soil?

10.Am I growing enough trees as part of my social responsibility to earth and future generations?

Once we reach the answers to these questions, we will come to some conclusions. Based on these we can see what we should change, why and also how. One key important thing to reflect on is the power of silence. How still and silent is our inner mind and our inner heart? Or are we caught in the constant din of racing thoughts and unbridled emotions? This lack of stillness could be described as one of the reasons our previous resolutions failed. Stillness and awareness go hand in hand. When the mind is still we are more aware and we see clearly. So, in this coming year let us go forth in joy and evolve for a brighter, clearer, more selfless and meaningful version of ourselves.

Happy New Year! May you and all living beings be free of suffering.