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2011

[Last year, I put up a post called 2010 and this year I am going to do another one called 2011. I am tempted to make this a tradition.]

You were exhilaration. You were disappointment. You were the tip of the mountain. You were the bottom of the sea. You taught me that coffee is bad for me, that being fat can happen more than once, that friendships and love can grow stronger with time, that no axiom applies to everyone, that risks need courage, that when you can't muster that courage - life makes you, that repetition is boring, that security is only as important as you make it, that change is liberating, that one genuine sentence can change hearts, that friends will be friends, that puppies make people both happy and sad, that hysteria* is possible, that revenge really scars everyone, that time does heal, that scrabble is fun at any age, that memory has a way of selectively keeping things that matter most, that lakes are serene, that sunlight streaming from your bedroom window is more important than the size of the room, that safety is state of mind, that paranoia can be cured, that money only matters if you don't have it, that shopping isn't so much fun after all, that it can be satisfying to selflessly do something, that its possible to reach the top very quickly - even from the bottom, that things always look shinier from the outside, that propaganda* comes in many forms, that there is always another way, that the worst sometimes brings out the best, that saag never changes, that some people will always care, that its easy to let go.

2011, you were a year of self awareness and insight. You taught me that I hate being by myself, that I need ownership, change and stimulation, that I am easily bored, that once I stop - there is no going back, that I can be my shiniest self only when I feel challenged and secure (and yes, its possible to be both at the same time), that details don't make me happy, that I focus on the bigger picture, that my motivation comes from people, that I am the choices I make, that love makes me strong.

As you go by, you will always be remembered as a year of self discovery, of learning, of change. Time will tell if the choices you helped me make were for the better or worse, but you will never be slotted in my years of regret. You will always be the exemplar of risk taking, fortitude and hope.

*Hysteria -- As I walked up to the stage to meet SRK, I lost every sense of "who was watching" or "what I was doing". I am not even a big fan, but as I ran up, I lost myself in all the madness and cheer. I felt for the first time just how powerful charisma can be. 


*propaganda

Comments

  1. Very eventful year - to say the least. Of all your learning from 2011, there are two that I believe to be very significant: that you are a big-picture person, and that you get your motivation from people.

    ASnonymous

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, yes, and an even more eventful year to come - if the first few minutes of 2012 were anything to go by :P

    ReplyDelete

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