Wish Yourself (January 2023)
If you have been to any gym or health food section of a grocery store in the last 10 days or so, you cannot but notice a renewed awareness about fitness and health. Interestingly, this awareness is noticed in the first few months of every year. As the year progresses, the passion and desire for self improvement yield to other rather base and often unhealthy aspirations. By the time the middle of the year arrives, gyms are not crowded and the demand for healthy food comes back to average levels. This month’s topic is an attempt to break this pattern. This month we will come up with a goal that we truly want to achieve, and then work on substantive steps to stay at uninterrupted progress towards the goal’s achievement.
On every new year’s arrival, it is customary to wish your near and dear ones. These wishes range from a simple single liner to detailed spiritual messages or prayers for others. Often in this customary action of wishing everyone else, we forget to wish the most important person: ourselves.
At the start of the year, I requested our group members to participate in a fun exercise. That is, while standing in front of a mirror, look into the eyes of the person you see there [in the mirror] and wish him/her “something”. When you look in your own eyes and speak to the self, whatever comes to your mind and your tongue will be fully steeped in your emotions (not an emotionless idea or statement, like happy new year). You also cannot fool yourself by saying long, deep messages until you have internalized them first. In short, what you wish while staring at yourself will be a genuine wish and desire for the betterment of the self.
If you have not done this exercise yet, please take a moment to do so. Whatever wish comes, please jot it down in your diary. It is your goal. I am assuming this wish is not a long list of superficial desires but consists of some focused and meaningful aspirations. This is the first part of the assignment.
By the time we meet for our monthly hawan, it will already be the end of the month. That means, you would be able to reflect on it. This is the second and most important part in your journey to realize your goal.
As the second part of your reflection, I am looking for the kids to cover the following aspects:
- Did you make a plan to work on your wish?
- If not, share the obstacles that stopped you from coming up with a plan for your own wish. Also share a detailed plan to overcome those barriers.
- If yes, share the plan.
- Progress made during the month
- Share what happened as you started to work on your plan to fulfill your wish. Please share your experience, obstacles, and the smart and innovative ways you devised to overcome your weaknesses and blindspots. Also share the points you will take to overcome your own vulnerabilities and weaknesses as the year progresses.
As always I am looking forward to our kids’ genuine thoughts and reflections.
Always proud of the hawan kids!
Yours,
Harsh Uncle