What A Year!

Another year of 365 days has gone by and we are now ushering a new year 2002.What a nice symmetric number and I hope it will bring also some nice goodies to all of us!I hope and pray it is going to be a better year than the year 2001 for the world,my country,my community and my family. May I wish YOU  and your family a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

At the beginning of January last year, I was wondering what is in store for me and  all of us? Now, you and me knew what we have got for the year 2001, in our own way. Now is the time to reflect of what we have planned and achieved last year and sit down again to plan for this year  if you have not done so. Setting the goals and planning are very important to provide the road map for us to follow for the next 12 months. For those in the 50's ,it is crucial that that we refocus our priorities- doing the  things that really matters to us! What really matters is the question that everyone of us has to answer for himself/herself.

The 911 event that rocked USA and triggered tremors around the world is the number one event for the year 2001.I believe everyone will remember it for the next few years. Its impacts and subsequent effects will affect the whole world,one way or the other. IMHO, we need to fasten our seat belts and brace ourselves for further shocks along the way....
 

It is not that I am pessimistic about the future. Honestly, I love to be optimistic and to see all the good in human nature and the world. However,the future does not exist in vacuum.It is based on the past mostly except those that comes down from Heaven. The past is like the upstream of the river. If we have been continuously polluting the upstream with illegal logging,industrial and domestic waste etc., then we could not expect a clean river water downstream. As the proverb says,we reap what we sow! And that scares me....

Now,let's come back to ordinary folks like you and me. We know we can't change the world, but we can change ourselves for the better. It only can be done if we are really serious and committed to get the change to take place. Every new year, most people make new year resolutions. Then, most of them just conveniently forget them and repeat that again when the next new year arrives. What a waste of time and effort. If we are going to create change, we must initiate,plan, execute,monitor and control. You need to apply project management principles and methodologies to realize the change that you wish to happen. Otherwise, it is more like hallucination.

What is a year? Technically it is 365 days with the exception of Leap Years. Time is relative-if you are sitting beside your lover, one hour is just like 5 minutes and if you are sitting by the fire, 5 minutes is like one hour. Not only that, as I grow older, a year is getting faster every year.It is just like toilet paper rolls-it moves faster as you moves towards the end;-). So a year has different meaning and value to different people.But the bottom line is it is about time. Time is free, but you can't buy it when you don't have it. If time is like a bowl, it is not the size of the bowl that counts, but more what is inside the bowl that matters. In other words, what we do with time is more important than how much time we have. I promised myself that I am not going to be like a friend who confessed to me that he did not live life to the full when he is already 55!

On personal note, I have a mixed year of good ,bad and the ugly as well. The bad and the ugly will be my lessons learnt and tests of patience to make me stronger,insyaAllah.( Easily said than done ,especially when one has to endure hardship for a long time and seeing no light at the end of the tunnel) The good is the reward and I must be grateful for the blessings of Allah swt for me and my family. When Prophet Muhamad  was asked by Gibrail whether he wanted wealth like Prophet Sulaiman or poverty like Prophet Ayub? Prophet Muhammad replied: I want to be 'rich' a day so that I can thank Allah for his blessings  and 'poor' the next day so that I can ask for his forgiveness and mercy. Honestly, if I am asked by Gibrail( most unlikely), I would prefer to be healthy, happy and rich all the time! Wouldn't you?

As parents, we are not only responsible to ourselves but also to our children and our very own parents who are in their old age and a few may be sick. This is a big responsiblity and a lot to worry about for the next 365 days. May I wish YOU all the best but be ready for the worst. Now, let's pray...