What is Your Word for 2016?

It is that time of the year again. And we must not break traditions. So as I have done for the past few years, I’m sitting myself down ‘to review life this year , look at the learnings I’ve gained, reminisce on some of the wonderful experiences, take stock and then decide what to do moving forward.

Every year as I write this, and as I read the past reviews I’ve written, I always sound so determine, optimistic, insightful and serious. This year I’m not in the mood for that. This year I’ve decided to come out of my comfort zone and not analyze the year. Not measure success rates or compartmentalize my life and do a report card! I know…. Very unlikely right? But hey! Life changes I guess and this year if I had a word to pick for me if would be HAPPY!

I’m just happy. I don’t know why. Is it because it feels like I am finally free from having to worry about work? Is it because my hormones are more balanced… thanks to Dr. Sheila? Could it be because I have decided that I’m not waiting for life to happen anymore? Maybe It’s as simple as getting this yellow chair I’m sitting on as I write this. I’ve always wanted a pretty armchair. I don’t know what it is but this year, I’m happy! And so... I’m just going to write down all the things that made me happy this year that comes to my memory.

This year rushed passed us like it was so in a hurry to come, give us immense joy and leave, it feels like a strong breeze just swished pass on a day you are wearing one of those pretty flair floral skirts and your holding it down while the wind twirls you around and you are laughing trying to keep everything in place and then before you know it, it’s gone. But the memory of it stays and you smile every time u think of it. 

So here are the gifts that 2016 brought to me

The International World Youth Festival and The international Youth Leadership Program – I’ve made so many new friends... siblings I must say from all around the world. Why siblings? The festival brought out the best of us... the festival also brought out the worst of us. No matter how civil and “Sai ram” like we were trying to be the “üglies” needed to come out. The best part of it though was how beautifully it all came together. I enjoyed so much being a part of it. How our countries did not matter, our ages and professions, and backgrounds … sometimes we could hardly understand each other but we still did. Those craaazzy late night long long never ending calls. Speaking to people in different parts of the world and finally putting the faces to the voices at the festival was an amazing experience. I am so so grateful for that. To be able to do Arathi at SKH and to speak and run sessions during SSIYLP. This was my nerdy dream come true.

Swami was also so present at every moment, like the beautiful dream that changed my life during those difficult days. In the dream I held his feet in His Yellow robe, He looked at me and said “What are you so worried about Roshini Visvananthan?”I woke up with tears touched by His Love. How He showed me in a subsequent dream exactly what the “Game of Life” exhibition would look like and how when it was done it looked exactly like the dream. This half a year of preparation was worth all the effort. 

Our crazy Trip to Coimbatore and Sathya’s Surprise 40^th Birthday Party!

This is making me smile so much as I write it. Anirudhs wedding in Coimbatore was a very interesting experience for all of us. The highlights for me were our crazy experiences at the ashram, how all of us spoke in 5 different languages in the cabs. The interesting Hair wash we got. The AMMOUNT of Food we ate ! And the day out with Jay in Chennai. 

The best part however was keeping this trip a secret from your Best friend.. for 6 months. God knows how Sowmya and I managed that. It was truly worth every single bit of effort that morning at 12 a.m when Sowmya opened the door and he walked half asleep behind her. That shocked face. Priceless. I 

Have always wanted to surprise someone like this and this was the best. The next day’s party where we got all his old friends to come and the highlight of the trip for me our day out to the museum at Eggmore where we created our own stories to all the exhibit and laughed like school girls was really something. 

 Cuti Cuti Malaysia!

We finally did our all gals road trip this year. To Redang with Ms. Nirali from the UK. Pretending to be tourist in your own country was the best thing. Even taking Nirali to Melaka was super fun. Visiting the museums, eating street food, buying stuff from the small vendors, being mistaken as a tourist and surprising the locals by speaking in the local accent. It was amazing. The fact that I was absolutely Broke when we did this made it even better. Just shows how money plays an important role in being happy but despite shortage of it Happiness can still exist.

Finally finding what I am super passionate to teach/coach

So 2 years ago, I needed an excuse to go to India and I decided since it was really cheap to get certified in performance management theories there compare to here or Singapore, I will just go and get my Balance Scorecard certification done. I just needed to know the basics and I was pretty certain I could learn myself after knowing it. I did it, got certified, added that to my profile and let it sit for 2 years. Last year a client practically forced me to run these sessions with their senior management team and to my surprise, I was really good at it. I also loved doing it so much. It was so satisfying to give logic and reason to everything, to justify and give understanding to how our relationships are quantifiable in an organization. How each and every person played a role in the end result we were aiming for and how it can clearly be seen. This gives me so much joy. I’m drained out after every session but Happy and satisfied like after you have done a good interval session in the gym. Doing so much more of these sessions with different industries has thought me that its not the industry or the company that's important but the spirit behind each organization, its genuine purpose that drive performance of its people.

But you know what? Life is not made out of these big events. While I am totally grateful for all these that happened in 2016, I have also come to realize that what really made me happy were the everyday occurrences in life like 

• A hot shower on a cold day

• Waking up and opening my curtains on the balcony next to my bed and looking at the green foliage and a not congested NKVE, and on days that it is congested thanking my lucky stars I’m not in that jam

• The personalized playlist that Spotify sends me on a weekly basis. So clever Spotify... so so clever.

• Resisting from watching a serial on TV so Kamini and I can watch it together

• Talking to Sathya and Sathya and catching up on each other’s life, or basically talking nonsense at laughing together. We must find a way for 3 of us to talk together.

• Choosing new paint for the Malacca house and watching mum Appa and Amma thrilled with the new renovation

• Listening to appa go on about some new lights he purchased that has 3 hues

• Listening to Sai Swetha talk like Dora the explorer

• Hearing the three monkeys Scream “Roshini Chinamaaaaaaa is here!” like I’m a celebrity

• Getting my tom yam/ Thai food fix with best friends

• Laughing Uncontrollably at inside jokes  

• Awareness sessions with Ohana

• Carrying and cuddling and watching Vayunand, Ethan and Theo Smile

• Drinking coffee in the quiet of the morning

• Cooking dinner and creating recipes from thin air

• Chopping vegetables … so so calming

• Swimming while its drizzling and praying every moment the guard does not chase me out of the pool..Just one more lap:) 

• Walking out of the gym after a run under those trees and thanking God every moment that we found this beautiful home. 

What I guess I am trying to say really is...Happiness is not in some far of place that needs to be achieved. It lies in the small things that we do every day. Some days when we are operating at a slower pace we notice these things. We feel the joy in doing these simple things. Some days they fly past us. Eventually I want to be able to not even rely on the small things but just be happy for no reason, to love for loves sake alone. I know I’m not there yet so my 2017 goal is going to be probably the same one I had in 2016 … and 2015.To slow down and cherish every moment as if that is all there is and to stop waiting for people or things to happen so much that I forget what is happening NOW. 

Here’s giving thanks and gratitude and love to a kind, playful and happy 2016 and a big warm welcome to 2017 and all the adventures it promises!