HT Chandigarh Readers’ Take: A great New Year resolution is to get vaccinated against negativity
There is much to learn from 2020, about the importance of staying healthy, taking care of those who love and support us and doing something for people and the planet, say readers. Live each moment fully, they add
No looking back
The year 2020 has left behind many issues for humans to introspect on. I was one of those people shut inside my home, watching the world pass through the trauma. My resolutions for the New Year are to adhere to the precautions for keeping the Covid pandemic at bay till all is well, to shed fears and insecurities that weaken me and make me feel isolated. I resolve not to spend hours and days delving into the past to relieve minor glories and wallow in regrets over what couldn’t be achieved. I shall try to live in the present and take each day as it comes. The best thing year 2020 has taught me is to help people in distress within my capacity and resources.
Subhash Puri
Taking care of animals and birds
Due to the fear of the pandemic I had stopped myself from stepping outdoors and could not take care of animals and birds. So, in the year 2021, I resolve to feed them and look after them.
Priyam Aggarwal, Chandigarh
Will work on writing skills
My New Year resolution will be to pursue my passion for writing more vigorously and for improving my writing skills
Rajinder Parshad
I plan to help women as much as I can
As we step into 2021, we are still affected by the consequences of the past year. So much has changed. There is a shadow of fear and uncertainty looming over us. Throughout the lockdown I have been an online grief counsellor for Haryana, Panjab, Delhi ad Chandigarh. Having dealt with the sudden increase in cases of domestic violence and assault and issues related with menstrual hygiene, I have made a very specific New Year 2021 resolution. I will continue my efforts to teach more women to be self-sufficient by teaching them to stitch sanitary pads. I will also work on the mindset of people and educate them against patriarchy and assaults of various kinds.
Renu Mathur, Panchkula
Get people to think positive
Many people are anxiety ridden due to Covid 2019, but though many of them are aware of safety measures they are still not following it. My 2021 resolution will be to create positivity in minds of people. We should not be afraid of contracting the virus but we should definitely follow all the precautions to avoid it.
Sandeep Gupta, Chandigarh
Guiding others will be my mantra
Apart from keeping myself healthy and happy, I want to serve society through my knowledge of astrology, numerology and tarot card reading. It would be nice if I could listen to other people’s problems and make them smile. I want to help and guide people who have faced failures and lost hope in life by counselling them. People should focus on their emotional and mental health as well as physical fitness.
Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali
Reach out to others
I am looking forward to 2021 as a year of renewal. First and foremost, I want to become socially useful. For this, I am looking forward to doing a course in first aid and connecting with the Red Cross. Besides, I shall assist the neighbourhood in taking up civic issues with the municipal corporation. Reading and writing have been my hobbies. My endeavour will be to sharpen these skills, learn gardening and cooking as hobbies. My wife is very fond of gardening. So much so, we didn’t have to buy a lot of vegetables from the markets or street vendors. I helped her water the plants etc. I want to do more of it this year. YouTube is a great teacher for cooking. My wife learnt the art of making jalebis and besan ki barfi, which we enjoyed during the pandemic. I have been teaching mathematics for classes 9 and 10 to our gardener’s son for the last two years. I found it highly satisfying and want to continue doing so this year.The best thing that happened during the pandemic was that my wife and I grew closer. Watching TV, news, drama and movies together became the routines of the day. I plan to spend more time with her this year.
Lt Col GS Bedi (Retd).
Nothing but masks and sanitisers for me
My resolutions for 2021 are Covid-specific since the hue and cry over the virus is continuing into the next year.
1. I will not venture out without mask and sanitiser and wash my hands as prescribed
2. I will not leave home , make social visits or encourage others to visit my place unless it is absolutely necessary
3. I will take utmost care to improve my immunity
4. I will encourage others to follow my resolutions
AK Sharma, Chandigarh.
Attract positivity
The coronavirus is not finished yet. We should resolve though to never give up hope, make positivity the motto of our life and in case faced with no solutions take heavenly help and pray to God from the core of our hearts to help the suffering humanity. Avoid negative thinking and remember, positivity attracts positivity. Ensure you eat and live healthy and remember to save money for the future. Also, don’t be dependent on domestic helpers for doing household chores. Understand the value of home made food and keep yourself healthy.
Suman Kansal, Panchkula
To pray hard for a healthy world
My first resolution for 2021 is to pray to God Almighty to protect humans, bio-diversity and environment to make this planet healthy and happy. I resolve to do everything possible to end this hatred of caste, creed, religion and governance; make concerted efforts to negate the effects of pollution by planting more eco-friendly trees and manage garbage judiciously. I also will be helping the needy, especially birds and animals who need our help but can’t speak. Last but not least, I intend to keep my cool while driving and adhere to traffic rules. I will salute and smile at anyone who offends me because life is more precious than ego and frustration. I will also resolve to bow with respect to all service providers who make my life comfortable and worth living.
Capt Amar Jeet Kumar, Mohali
Upgrade tech skills as a senior
The resolutions this year are:
a. Home is paradise, so there’s no going out to hotels/restaurants or clubs for that matter
b. Pay special attention to health, eat home-made nutritious food, do yoga and exercise to maintain and enhance immunity
c. Follow Covid-19 protocols even if I am vaccinated
d. Not to go out unnecessarily
e. Life goes on, therefore enjoy it but with due precautions.
There is no age bar for learning and community service after retirement from service. Seniors can play a very useful role by learning new skills such as writing, singing, dancing, yoga, walking, nature cure and meditation. Community service for the needy people and digital literacy is the need of the hour and this is my goal for 2021. One must change with times and adapt to new technology. Always remember, time does not stop, people don’t stop ageing, and learning never stops. So my humble request to seniors is to continue learning till the end. This will keep you physically and mentally fit.
Col TBS Bedi (Retd), Mohali
No procrastinating
I have decided that from now on I will not put off today’s work tomorrow. Also, I will live in the present without thinking about future outcomes. I will try to stay more fit by regular jogging and remain focused on my goals.
Jassica, Chandigarh
Beacon of strength and courage to others
My resolutions for 2020 are:
Illuminate myself: To be a beacon of strength and courage, a clear pool of wisdom and understanding, and a flame burning the truth
No fake promises: Instead of making a promise that will ultimately be broken, I will commit myself to simply being vigilant and aware
Be awakened: I will try to be awakened every day to each new opportunity to share, to love, to be the temple of peace in my life
Adapt to peace: I will definitely align myself with the spirit of peace and goodwill toward myself and others.
Abhishek Kumar, Chandigarh
Have faith in Almighty
My resolution and wish is to do everything possible to make 2021 a peaceful and trouble free year. If any unthinkable and unpredictable event occurs, let the Almighty give us the necessary clues to come out of it unscathed.
Dr Devinder Garg, Chandigarh
Be cordial with neighbours, helpers, friends
Here are a few things I and others have to keep in mind this year: Always maintain cordial relationships with your next door neighbours, domestic helpers and friends as they are the ones usually who step up and help you during emergencies. Make sure you have enough savings to fall back upon in case you don’t have a running income and keep yourself updated on digital skills to deal with the digital world, for online transactions and to be socially connected to friends and well wishers with your handy smartphone.
SC Luthra, Chandigarh
Growing plants
While saying goodbye to 2021 I want to salute all the healthcare workers, police officers, garbage collecters, Army, print media and electronic media who kept working to keep us safe and informed about the goings-on in the world. For the New Year I have resolved to focus on my hobbies, which are writing and cooking. I am going to focus on my studies too, maintain my immunity by exercising daily and grow as many plants as I can. This year we learnt that health is truly our real wealth so I request everyone to look after their health. This is a list that everyone should follow:
1. Build a better budget.
2. Quit addictive habits
3. Less alcohol
4. Eat healthy food
5. Exercise regularly
6. Take the stairs instead of elevators
7. Grow more plants
8. Keep homes and surroundings clean
9. Donate
10. Help the needy.
Ishita Nara
End casteism
All of us should understand the difficulties of others and try to resolve them cheerfully. I resolve to cooperate and support every Indian to end casteism, language and regional barriers. All Indians should try to resolve the disputes between the government and public. We should live peacefully as good friends.
Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali
The best thing while WFH is to exercise
The work from home culture has its own unique set of problems. Backache due to incorrect posture and lack of exercise impacted me the most. In the pre-pandemic situation , walking from home to office and office to home was something that happened by default. It was really an eye-opener in terms of helping me understand the importance of exercise. My resolution is to make exercising a priority. Even if it is a short evening walk or a quick yoga session. Not one day in 2021 should go without me taking some time out for some physical activity.
Shruti Mittal, Chandigarh
Starting a journal
The year 2020 brought many lessons with it. It taught us about the fragility of life and the beauty of basking in the warmth of love by being with the family during the lockdown. My resolutions include treasuring every single moment of my life by writing a journal, so I can remember the moments forever and expand my mind and not get miffed by trivial problems. And most importantly, I have to learn to be a seeker of everyday magic.
Aditi Malhotra
Helping others
Resolutions are made on the first day of a New Year and all of us tend to forget them by the end of the first week of the New Year. The year gone by was never a year which any of us had expected but it taught us many lessons of survival. It gave us plenty of opportunities for introspection. So taking a cue from the disastrous 2020 my New Year resolution will be to help people, do some social work for the needy who may have been affected by the pandemic. I will also work towards improving my health and look at how I can protect the environment. Finally, however, what matters is executing our resolutions, which again will depend on how the new strain of the virus is going to affect our country. All of us have a role to play in protecting mother earth and so our collective resolution should be to nurture it more passionately.
Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh
Focus on the simple life
During 2021 my only priority will be to maintain good health and educate others to do so because during epidemic only those with strong immunity recovered quickly. Yoga is the best alternative. Online yoga camps got tremendous response. People have to change their priorities in life and focus on living a simple and disciplined lifestyle.
RR Passi, Chandigarh
Teach others yoga and pranayam
I feel the best thing is doing yoga daily for at least 30 minutes and give more importance to pranayam, anulom and vilom (breathing exercises) for instance. For more details look out for Baba Ramdev’s YouTube channels. Change over to pure vegetarianism, consuming fresh giloy, five tulsi and neem leaves daily and giving up alcohol and tobacco in any form. If you don’t get neem, buy ayurvedic neem tablets. I am 82-plus years of age. I follow the routine and I do not suffer from any disease and have an eyesight of 6/6. I would want to guide others who come to me for help.
Dr Harnam Singh, Chandigarh
Enjoy the present
The year 2020 has taught us the value of friends, family and neighbours who stood by us in times of need and will always do so. It taught us to hold on to these relationships and nurture them with love and care. Unlike all the other years when New Year resolutions meant becoming fitter, travelling more etc, for 2021 I want to be appreciative of the little joys in life, spend more time doing things I enjoy and that allow me to be closer to my loved ones.
Kohima Goyal
Understanding Ayurveda
Gaining more knowledge of Ayurveda is my resolution for 2021. The lockdown gave me a chance to watch Ramayana and Mahabharata on TV, which piqued my curiosity about ancient texts and science. So I started researching Ayurveda and realised that our ancestors knew a lot about medicines and natural treatments. Now I want to learn more about this science.
Krrish Madaan, Ambala