New Year's Resolution

I was listening to a radio talk show on New Year’s day about New Year’s resolution. Surprise, surprise! According to the radio talk show, the top list on many people’s New Year resolution was to cut back on boos! I gathered that because the survey was conducted right after the New Year’s celebration and most people were still suffering from hangovers. It goes to show that many of us have a love-hate relationship with alcohol!

During the last few days I’ve also been thinking about my New Year’s resolution. I asked myself: How am I going to live out my New Year? What do I want to achieve? What are my dreams? What do I want to be and where do I want to go?

It turns out that my New Year resolution for this year is actually very simple. Rather than setting up targets on how much time I want to spend on exercising and studying; how many books I want to read; how much salary I want to earn; how many new friends I want to make...which was the case in my previous New Year's resolutions; I have only one list in my New Year's resolution, which is: to learn about love and to learn to be. I believe love and to be are the same thing. They both means connecting and rememberance. We all need love but many people think we need to chase love or find love. What we forget is that love is not far away. Love is right here, in every breath we take, every thought we think, every word we say and everything action we do. The question to ask is: how connected am I with Love?

For a long time, to me love means a special connection to a special someone, a romantic, passionate bond. It took me a long time to realise that love is not that narrow meaninged and love can be present regardless you have a romantic relationship. Love is giving without receiving. Love is compassion, empathy, respect and peace. Love is harmony. Love is power. Love can take us to great height and afford us knowledge, wisdom and courage. Love teaches us how to use our time and energy wisely. Love gives us power to conquer challenges and hardship. Love enables us to make good choices in life. With love, there is no room for jealousy, judgement, greed, anger and laziness because love in essence is being in harmony with self, God and our fellow men. With love we will refrain from negative tendency such as gossiping, judgement, impatience and inconsiderate actions. With love, all the obstacles in life will find a resolve.

Some people are sceptical about love. They say that love hurts and love doesn’t last. Love that hurts is not love at all. It is lust, attachment, possessiveness, judgment, discrimination and desire. People say that love doesn’t last only because they have stopped giving love. Because the more we give love, the more we receive. True love is a fountain; it never dries up. It has no limits.

Someone said: There is no way to love; love is the way. By allowing our love to flow, we become moistened and remain forever fresh, resourceful, attractive and healthy. Without love, all of life’s treasures are locked away from our vision and experiences.

Love in indeed 'the key'. Let me find this key, and unlock the treasures that have always been around me. I’ve been sleeping for too long; it’s time for my heart to awaken. I know that some moments I will love; other moments I won’t; some moments I will feel enthusiastic and passionate while other moments I will feel slack and weary, but I’ll just let it be, accepting my moods and my feelings. I won't be perfect, that's for sure! After all, love is a university that no student ever graduates!

Love is what I live for. I believe love is what we all live for. Health is important, so are family, friendship, job and money. But without love all other things in life will fade. But in order to find love, I know that I must understand It; I must connect. I must live each moment as it comes, smell It, touch It, see It, sense It; feel It. I just need to be.

I still remember a tip I read sometime ago from a book to check if one is living in the moment. It goes like this: The moment you notice your attention has drifted, you can direct it back to the body, back to this moment, by asking yourself three questions: Am I breathing? (Take a conscious breath). Am I relaxed? (Let go of any tension you notice). Am I doing whatever I am doing with refinement and grace? (Allow yourself to do so). These questions are signposts pointing back to present reality. And in this way, you begin to practise everyday enlightenment.

Do I really need a New Year's resolution? I guess not. If happiness, love and peace are already with me in this very moment, why neglect now and dwell on a distant future which is yet to come? I agree that goal setting is important, so is an enforceable action plan and by no means I believe in idleness and laziness. However, it is important to remember: Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.

Eternity is not something that begins after we are dead. It is going on all the time. As a matter of fact, we are in it right now. So, breath, relax, smile and enjoy! :)

Om shanti!