Guest post by Devika Pathak
There’s an electric energy in the room as the crowd starts chanting. Not sure where to look my thoughts move inward. Was I good enough? How can I be better? What’s the big deal anyway, it’s just another day! Clock strikes twelve, fireworks, champagne, kisses and boom. Goodbye 2015.
What is it about the end of one year and beginning of another that elicits such a vast range of emotions? The end of one year seems to signal a goodbye, and goodbyes are never easy. Goodbye to the good, the bad, the ugly. Whether you struggled and came out on top, faced hardship and are still down, found love and happiness or went through an emotional upheaval; December 31st is like a “Don’t worry, you’re done with all that” kind of day. If the year was great you’ll be exhilarated and drunk on the possibilities that lie ahead, if the year was less than pleasant I think the 1st always offers hope and comfort in a way.
New Year’s Eve might be the only non-religious event that is universally celebrated. There really is no better way to describe the 31st than a celebration. A celebration of the old and new; past and present; and most importantly, transition. Although many people, including myself, consider this a time for hotels, airlines and restaurants to jack up their prices while offering the same thing they did the week before, but honestly you can’t escape the energy New Year’s brings with it. It’s shrouded in tradition and age old beliefs about new beginnings, resolutions, change and the year ahead. Retrospection is integral to the end of any event, whether it’s a relationship, a job or 2015 and this is the key to moving forward. This collective introspection offers clarity of mind and strength- the clarity to decide what you want and need to move forward and the strength to get there.
I’ve never been the kind of person to make resolutions or feel very nostalgic for the passing of a year however this year was different. 2015 flew by without the faintest goodbye and has simply disappeared into the horizon. I’ve heard that as you grow older the years go by more quickly (or is it the opposite?) but being the oldest I’ve ever been, this year really did go by in the blink of an eye and almost disconcertingly so. Am I ready to leave the things of the previous year behind? In those brief 10 seconds before the clock struck 12, what was on my mind? Was it the fact that I found happiness and security last year, that I discovered parts of myself I didn’t know existed (writing was integral to this) or was it the fact that work challenged me to the point of defeat? Whatever it was that buzzed through my mind, I think the passage of time and a point of transition came through most brightly and since I think I was already in that space- of trying to grow stronger and more focused- this transition is a calming force almost. A chance to renew and start anew.
At the end of the day I think New Year’s is whatever you make it out to be. The ideas of hope and change can sometimes be strong enough to actually help you reach your goals more than most other tools. When you feel like you’ve been given a second chance, the rising from the ashes analogy fits in and we realize that whatever doesn’t kill you, most certainly makes you stronger. For some this can be a stressful and emotional time while for others (and I feel this transcends all that stress) there is a sense of future and empowerment here, 12 brand spanking new months for you to fail, succeed, be happy, breakdown or just be blank. It’s quite powerful.
About the Author-
Devika Pathak is a Mumbai based freelance writer with a passion for chocolate chip cookies, pandas and vinyasa yoga. She works in marketing and loves to write about food, fitness and general musings on life.
