Posted on by writershilpa

Two words that will guide me through 2018.

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I had heard about people choosing a particular word to welcome the new year with.  A word to  inspire them, show them the way  and boost their morale throughout the year.   I hadn’t given it much thought, until last night when  I decided I, too, needed something to guide me. Something to inspire me to keep doing my best and never lose sight of my goals, despite all the uncertainties.

My mother, who has been my idol, always insists on being hopeful, even when caught in  a storm that threatens to throw our lives into disarray. A tiny word with a lot of strength.

And, thus I chose HOPE. Mothers can never go wrong, can they?

We humans are a fragile lot. A tiny push from Life is, at times, enough to leave us distraught. I know I am! Some times, when a situation comes along that tests my spirit,  I do face it, no doubt, but I feel it weaken me from within. Like we do when we lose all hope. Like when we just give up the fight out of sheer frustration and accept defeat.

Holding on  to hope is what we fail to remember at such times. We forget that the difficult times aren’t here to stay; that these, too, shall pass; that there is Someone out there holding our hand and guiding us through it all. And, that some day, the sun will shine bright, again.

“Umeed par duniya kaayam hai!”

Umeed, as in hope, on which the world survives. Now, that’s something we all ought to remember, always, come what may.

To never lose hope.

And, I don’t mean our faith in God/The Supreme Energy/The Almighty.

By faith, I mean the trust we have in ourselves. For, we put all our faith in the Almighty, but seldom do we trust ourselves, our resilience, our strength.

How often, when we see others succeeding in every aspect of life, do we wonder if we even have it in us to survive in this world? Our colleagues get the promotion we were pining for; our neighbour’s kids do exceedingly well at school while ours just manage to make it through to the next class; our friends manage to hit the gym  despite a busy schedule and look fit and trim, while we just keep on piling the pounds even after dieting like a maniac.

Do you identify with any of the above?  Go on, admit it, if you do.  I know, I do.

We are humans, for heaven’s sake – imperfect, insecure, desperate to live a flawless life. Of course, we feel incapable when we compare ourselves with others. We so lose faith in ourselves, we consider ourselves a misfit. We believe we aren’t cut out for a particular role and berate ourselves for being such losers.

Simply put, we fail to recognise our abilities, our strength – all of which  the Almighty has blessed us with!

A belief in ourselves, having faith in our talents,  and honing those talents is what guarantees success. Comparing ourselves with others, their talents, their looks, their bodies only leads to trauma, and heart burn. Believe me…I have been there, done that. And, come out wiser.

And, therefore, FAITH.

Forgive me if I sound boastful, but, a lot of self-loathing, self-deprecation and shedding copious tears made me change the way I look at myself. No, I am not completely cured of this malady – of comparing myself with others – but, the frequency is far lesser!

Thank God for that!

So, this year, I plan on carrying HOPE and FAITH in my heart, in my mind and work towards being a better person.  One I will be proud of, from within.

We are all a work in progress.  We are designed such, that if we stop working on ourselves, we run the risk  of decaying. Making resolutions I would never be able to keep made no sense to me, and thus I chose these two words, to show me the way.

Have you chosen a word to guide you through this year, through Life?

Love,

SHILPA…

48 Replies to “Two words that will guide me through 2018.”

  4. My own word was Serenity because after holding on to faith for so long, I found myself severely tested and failing last year… Hope remains. Hope is essential to continue.

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  7. I am someone who goes through phases of hopelessness time and again and hence I know how important ‘hope’ is. How do I deal with hopelessness? I deep clean the house. The physical strain diverts the negative energy and gives the satisfaction of a squeaky clean corner in the house. I know this small anecdote was a sort of digression but with you I become chatty 🙂
    I wish you all the best for practicing hope and faith in yourself. in 2018 and I will be still there to share your journey from 5 samandar paar 😀

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    1. Oh, Anamika, I do the same thing – clean something or the other when feeling low about life! A clean corner does make me feel worthy of something at least!
      Thank you for sharing that piece of info with me – as you said something ago, it’s in the comments section that we bond with each other, don’t we?

      Thank you for your loving wishes, my dear! I, too, will keep encouraging you, saat samundar paar! ❤

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  8. Oh I identify with the need for faith in myself. Comparisons are odious and yet there are days I cannot stop myself from doing that even though I know it’ll make me feel worse and worse! Hope and faith are a perfect combination. Good luck Shilpa and have a wonderful new year.

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    1. Tulika, we all are a little flawed in our heads, isn’t it, to compare ourselves to people who are as different from us as chalk and cheese? How silly can we be!
      WIsh you, too, a wonderful year, my dear! ❤

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  12. Those are beautiful words Shilpa! I really hope that you remain hopeful and have faith in yourself through 2018. Also, have you read any work by Kristen Neff on self-compassion or Brene Brown’s work? If not, you should. It’s great when working with self-criticism or self-loathing. Self-compassion is amazing and Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability and imperfection is great. Watch their TED talks to start with and go from there if you like. Much love and strength to you for 2018!

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    1. Yes, Sanch…I hope to remain hopeful and have faith in myself, not just this year, but for the rest of my life. I have realised how necessary it is for me to survive, to stay sane and to be able to reach my goals. Will surely look up those books…I so need the one on self-compassion!

      Thank you so very much, my dear!

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  15. These are beautiful words and knowing you, I am sure that taking them in your stride will be part of your journey.

    May 2018 be filled with hope and faith and you know it’s okay to falter now and then. I’m there if you ever need to chat 🙂 Hugs

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    1. Yes, Shy, I know it’s okay to falter once in a while..it’s just that I need to be able to pick myself up each time and keep walking, confidently!

      Thank you so much, sweetie!

      Hugs! ❤

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  16. I love your chosen words of the year, Shilpa. If you have them to guide you along, I am sure 2018 will be a wonderful year for you. ‘Cause like you said, as long as we have faith in ourselves, and hope that things will turn out okay, no matter how bad they may seem at a certain point of time, we will be able to truly make the most out of opportunities, and not fret over life’s disappointments.

    Wishing you a happy, healthy, and a prosperous 2018.

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  17. Loved the way you have woven these two beautiful words into your life; I have no doubt that you will emerge a better and stronger person from them. I wish you all the best of louch and loads of love for this coming year; may it be joyful and bountiful!!!

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    1. The main aim behind choosing those words is to be able to come out better and stronger, Shalz…that’s why no resolutions, but words to be remembered in every life situation!

      Thank you so much, dear! I hope 2018 brings a lot of happiness in your life, too! ❤

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  18. Both lovely words, Shilpa. I loved the honesty in this post. You spoke from the heart. All of us falter. We feel hopeless and worthless. It happens to the best of the lot. The self doubt too. But eventually it is faith in oneself that resurrects you. I like to listen to old melodious music or fast peppy numbers or workout. It lifts the spiritis. Wish you the best of everything. 😍

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    1. True, Rachna, a good workout along with some good music does lift our spirits and puts us back on track. It’s keeping ourselves on the right track is what requires a lot of hard work!

      Thank you so much, sweetie! WIsh you, too, the best of everything! ❤

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  24. I was nodding along, Shilpa. Faith and hope are much needed to go on each and every day. I wish you never lose hope and faith in your today and tomorrows. I chose three words instead of one and you chose two. 🙂 We do think alike, don’t we? 🙂

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