As I sit here, on the first 'working' Monday of 2026, I can't but pause and think of what really 2025 taught me.
Pause and Take it in! All the 21st century advancements have made our lives easy, sure, but it's given not just the means but also become a need, a compulsion for being fast-paced all day, every day. It has poured over to our relationships, our friends, our fam. Our multi-tasking, our scrolling, nothing stops. Everything is a list, everything a to-do.
Oh, the joy to be present in one place, see your child play, see your parents crack a joke and smile or sneer and get angry, to hear the sizzle of the hot pan as you cook your favourite dish, to finally crack that backhand and much more. As a professional too, to hear what people and communities are saying, hear the unsaid, observe and take in their experiences and let their world fill you. Just look up, life is in the moment, here and now. I hope to continue this is 2026.
Saviour complex and Need for Solution! (this is more a development sector reflection & perspective) My 9-year-old nephew and his friends have this compulsive habit, anytime I tell them something, they retort back a vociferous 'I know'! They want to feel more and more like an adult, it's cute habit. But not when adults do it. We know that we don't have answers to everything. All of our lived experiences are uniquely different, yet we like to give 'gyan' and suggest off the bat 'solutions'. Sometimes it's ok to sit with problems, let them consume you. May be then we can truly understand the nuances and appreciate the complexity of problem at hand.
Everyone works! Most people work hard, even the smart workers are hard workers. Just because you talk intellectual, work on a computer, work in a new-age firm, etc. doesn't make your effort more valuable or make you a better or more respect worthy person.
Everyone's work deserves respect. Your cook, your cleaner, your boss, your home-maker mother, your security guard, EVERYONE. You can ask them to be/do better but in that process don't take away or chip at their dignity.
Save More, Invest More! This economy and uncertain times are going nowhere. Plan your investments and start/build on those SIPs. Don't let that money rot in a savings account. More so to the women out there, always have your money, save and build that embankment of yours.
Here's hoping I work more, grow more and 'give and get' more love in 2026!
