‘Happy’ ‘New’ Year!

Why do we have a ‘New’ Year every year after 31 December? Is it not just another year?

And why do we wish everyone ‘Happy New Year’ on this day? Is anyone in control of their happiness?
2008 was a year that most people would want to erase from their lives. The sub-prime crisis in USA aggravated into a financial crisis – that destroyed billions and billions of dollars, decimated companies and caused a full-blown global recession. The terrorist attacks in major Indian cities, the final one being Mumbai – that took so many lives. And to wrap it up, the current Israeli attacks on Gaza – that have killed people and caused destruction.
Will 2009 be a ‘New’ Year or just another year? And will it be a ‘Happy’ one?
Well, it all depends on us.

‘New’ – Going by the literal meaning, a ‘New’ Year means a fresh year. Simply, a ‘New’ Year is a fresh beginning. A fresh opportunity. 8,760 hours lie before us - all unused. If we want to achieve something, we should plan out this time and create a road-map, which will help us reach our goals – or ‘New’ Year Resolutions as they are called!

But just making resolutions is not enough. We need to set real, practical goals that would give tangible results. Create a strategy to reach them. Set our own deadlines. Monitor our progress – make changes to our strategy if things are not working. Tackle challenges. Improve. Work hard. And by 31 December 2009, we will be glad to know that we have accomplished our goals!

‘Happy’ – Pleasure is physical and short-lived. On the other hand, happiness is thought to be the result of achieving or acquiring something. True. But we won’t achieve things everyday. We won’t buy good stuff everyday. Does that mean we will not be happy everyday? No.

If we think about it, our life broadly revolves around three main aspects – on which our happiness also depends:

§ Money: Making money is a necessity to survive. Whether we are working with an organization or doing business, we need to ensure that we are doing our best – exploiting our potential to the fullest and capitalizing on all opportunities present. Make the right moves. Seek advice from experienced people if required. Invest wisely. If all this is done, money will keep flowing in and we will be able to acquire and achieve.

§ Relationships: Good relationships with everyone at work, at home and outside are a must. Good relationships make us feel connected and support us at all times. And making a relationship ‘good’ is not difficult. A little understanding and acceptance of the fact that everyone is different would help a lot. Good relationships within our family also keep us peaceful and un-guilty, enhancing our effectiveness at work.

§ Personal Growth: Personal growth is achieved through learning and uplifting our spiritual self. Most people find this too heavy or boring. This is simply because the concept of personal growth can usually be understood only after we have accomplished a certain level in the first two aspects – money and relationships. But if we want to grow faster, we can well focus on this aspect simultaneously with the other two. All it needs is a little time. Spiritual upliftment is possible through gaining spiritual knowledge, doing community-service and through yoga, meditation.

Happiness is actually a feeling of satisfaction and peace. And it is possible to have this feeling at all times. If we whole-heartedly focus on the three aspects mentioned above, we would be able to get the feeling of satisfaction and peace every moment. In effect, we would be ‘Happy’ every moment!

So, let’s make a new beginning and make every moment happy.

‘Happy’ ‘New’ Year!

Warm regards

Team Ashni