Blog 19: 2023, A Year of Possibilities and Recalling the Basic Rules of Joy

Gogoal Falia

Welcome, Aggies! It is 2023, a new year, filled with immense possibilities, half-fulfilled resolutions, a piling workload of papers, assignments, and readings, and a winter storm. Nevertheless, I would like to share a few basic rules of happiness that I had forgotten in 2022. While at home in Port Blair, India, during the winter break, I had some time away from academic and professional commitments. This provided me not only the headspace to focus on myself in greater depth, but also enabled me to listen to those who matter. Spending some invaluable time with my family, I also ended up meeting this old buddy of mine. As it often happens, old friends are like time machines, they take you back to days of carefree adventures, and dormant emotions of your youth follies. I was reminded of how things were, the good especially, and how far I have to achieve my dreams and goals. I was also reminded of the sacrifices I have made, and the loved ones I have lost, but then again, he reminded me of those who have been there for me through the toughest of times. It was an in-depth discussion that helped me greatly re-orient my focus and come back to Aggieland with a purpose, determined to make the most out of my time in this great institution. He has been like a younger brother to me, but his words of wisdom caught me by surprise. I realized that he become a version of what I used to be.

And here I am! Your humble blogger, rejuvenated, dedicated, and full of wisdom to share with y’all.

Basic Rules of Joy:
•    Never lose sight of your goals. The purpose for anything that you truly want always has a goal or endpoint. Stay focused on that goal. It can be academic, personal, or professional.
•    Your loved ones will always be there for you. You already know who they are. For some, they might be your parents, for others, their siblings, or significant others, and best friends. These are the people who you rant about, hear you curse, and still give you a shoulder to cry on, and words of wisdom that keeps you going. These are your people. Keep them close.
•    Do not mourn the loss of people who are temporarily in your life. This is for those who are deeply affected by a lost relationship or have a crush or longing for someone beyond reach. You are stronger than you think you are. Keep your head high. The right person will make their way into your life when you expect it the least. Focus on points 1 and 2.
•    Respect yourself, your body, and your mind. Mental and physical health goes together. Skip that donut and avoid that chain store coffee. Prepare your healthy smoothie instead. Go for a run, or a brisk walk, eat healthily, have a cookout with friends, a cooking date with that special person. Anything out of the ordinary that is also nutritious.
•    Support those who depend on you. Provide a helping hand to people in need. Volunteer, keep busy and provide service.
•    Read every day. Does not have to be something important. It can be just a random article online or a full book.
•    Sleep well. The benefit of a good night’s sleep has been well documented, and from personal experience, I can tell you, there is nothing better than being able to go to bed early and wake up early.

While I am certain you must be wondering, dear reader, that these are quite generic and simple, believe me, the simplest of things have the biggest impact on our lives. The key to happiness is the desire for self-growth. For my part, I realized that over the past months, I was preoccupied with things that didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. I lose focus and had to suffer due to this carelessness of mine. Thankfully, I had my friends and loved ones to guide me.

As your virtual friend, I feel this is my duty and my desire to help you deal with the new year’s winter blues. I hope my words and advice will bring you comfort and give you the needed motivation to take these basic steps, and if you do end up including these in your lives, I would love to hear from you.

Until then, I am here, sharing my life and experiences with y’all.
Happy 2023 my friends.