Subhanallah, another year has past.
Change, that was the overwhelming theme of 2014.
New city, new job, new focus...
Change brought many a new beginning.
It was also a year of lots of movement.
150 flights, all over the world. Humbling, really.
All blurred into one long cassette tape of memory.
New people, new perspectives.
What did I learn?
I learnt that the older I get, the greyer things become.
That we cannot judge what is in another person's heart, and it is not our place to do so. What should be of concern with is getting our own heart in order. Controlling our reactions and responses to events is the only choice we have; a powerful choice and realisation.
I learnt silence is okay, and sometimes time-out is okay too, even though the adrenalin junkee inside may shout otherwise.
"GET UP!"
"Keep moving..."
"Keep doing..."
These things are important, for idleness can always been a poison.
However, thinking, real, deep, critical thinking doesn't happen when we're on the go. It didn't happen when I was binge watching The Good Wife or dancing in my bedroom when I got up in the morning.
It happens when I find silence and let my thoughts wander. When I choose to reflect consciously...
I realised my way of thinking is through writing. All the silence in the world is futile for my clarity without a way to record it, have it played back to me and be able to reflect on it again and again, until it makes some sense. The very act of writing, of seeing the words articulated on a page or screen gives them a legitimacy that the fleeting nature of my thoughts lack. The fact that I didn't write enough this year perhaps contributed to the feeling of not-being-present... and so I resolve to return to the habit of writing in 2015 inshallah.
Every new year brings the opportunity for reflection, refocus and recalibration of who we want to be and where we want to be at.
I cannot say with any certainty where I want to be at the end of this 365 day chapter inshallah.
What I do know is that I hope, with the grace of Allah, I find humility, the space to think and write critically, the ability to impact, influence and hopefully, inspire towards a world of greater equality of opportunity and diversity of voices in the public domain.
Who knows what 2015 brings. All we can try to do is be truly present for it.
Bless.
Salams,
PS.
Every year I start with a song. 2014 was started with Pharrell's Happy, before it got overplayed on the radio. This year, I chose Bluejuice's 'Work'.
Enjoy! http://youtu.be/pjchHtygrNo?t=1m8s