Recaptulaing 2025- Life Goes On, Lessons Stay.

     

The year 2025 has indeed been a roller-coaster ride for quite a lot of us. Highs and lows came unannounced, often overlapping, leaving little time to pause and reflect. Yet, as the year draws to a close, reflection becomes inevitable.

If I were to sum up 2025 for myself in a few words, it would be: Patience, Gratitude, Calmness, Trust, Perseverance, and Health.

On both personal and professional fronts, life has been humbling with every passing day. One of the most important lessons I learnt is that when you let go of your ego, carry goodwill, and act with bona fide intentions, the Invisible Hand somehow takes care of you. There is a quiet reassurance in surrendering yourself to the Almighty. Once you do that, you realise that the universe, in its own way, aligns things for you.

Of late, many people have been describing me as calm and stable. While I appreciate the observation, my own understanding of calmness is slightly different. To me, calmness is chaos that has stopped resisting itself. It is not the absence of turmoil, but an acceptance of it. When resistance ends, peace quietly takes its place.

This year also marked the end of my stint in Ladakh - a tenure that will always remain close to my heart. The place, the people, the exposure, and the life-lessons across different facets of living made it an unforgettable experience. As I bid adieu to Ladakh, I realised how deeply it has been shaping my perspective. I am contemplating diarising my experiences there and will share here in coming days.

Another quiet change this year has been learning to let go- forgiving more, reacting less, and not allowing petty things to disturb peace of mind. Doing so creates mental space to focus on things, situations, and people that truly matter. Peace, after all, is too precious to be traded for trivialities.

At the same time, life is not meant to be lived inside the safe walls of a comfort zone. Growth begins the moment one steps out of it. New people, unfamiliar situations, and unexpected responsibilities often become the biggest teachers, provided one remains open to learning.

Human behaviour, I have realised, is a variable factor. Accepting this prepares you better for the unexpected. Life, in itself, is a continuous journey, offering challenges and opportunities on a daily basis. What matters most is one’s resolve towards a goal and the consistency with which one works towards it. Consistency and continuity are often under-appreciated. Even marginal improvement, when sustained over a long period, yields remarkable results.

Connections also matter. Being good to people - not for selfish motives, but out of genuine altruism - has its own quiet rewards. As I was leaving Ladakh, a comment from one of my colleagues about patience and karmic relationships touched me profoundly. It made me realise that even small acts of kindness, which may seem insignificant to us, can hold immense value for others. So, be nice, simply for the sake of being nice. The world already has enough negativity; there is no need to add more to it.

I strongly believe that your vibe attracts your tribe. The energy you radiate eventually returns to you. Cheerfulness, calmness, patience, and selflessness have a way of boomeranging back as similar people, situations, and outcomes.

In this reflective phase, I also tried my hand at poetry. I dedicate my latest poem titled “Patience and Trust” to the colleague who helped me appreciate the quiet strength of patience.

Be patient with the turning days,
With hills that rise, with winding ways.
Not every step seeks instant sight,
Some truths arrive in waiting light.

When effort ends and sight runs thin,
Surrender quietly begins.
To trust the Hand we cannot see,
Is strength in calm humility.

The mind sees now, but not the whole,
It learns by scars etched on the soul.
In hindsight, paths grow clear and kind,
What seemed unfair was well-designed.

The plans we doubt, the waits we fear,
Are shaped by wisdom far more clear.
What He ordains unfolds in time,
Beyond our grasp, yet deeply kind.

Stay steady when rewards delay,
For roots grow deep in unseen clay.
Consistency, though slow and plain,
Returns in unexpected gain.

Life lifts us high, then pulls us low,
A restless, rolling ebb and flow.
What shapes our days is not the ride,
But how we stand on either side.

Be grounded: firm in thought and deed,
In word, in rest, in what you feed.
A stable mind, a body sound,
Builds peace where chaos once was found.

So guard your calm, your faith, your breath,
In health, in hope, in life, in depth.
For stillness is the truest sign
Of patient strength and sovereign mind !

     

    As 2025 comes to a close, I realise that life rarely unfolds the way we plan it to. It humbles, tests, and teaches - often silently. While time keeps moving forward, the lessons it leaves behind shape who we become. Patience, trust, kindness, and consistency may not always show immediate results, but they quietly build resilience and clarity over time. Life goes on, inevitably so; what truly stays with us are the lessons we choose to learn and carry forward. 

As we step into a new year, carrying lessons rather than baggage, I wish each one of you a very happy, prosperous, and healthy New Year 2026.