[Dec 2024] Be the Lighthouse: Lessons for a Brighter New Year
Takeaways: As the year closes, absorb the lessons and reject anything that makes you upset, angry or negative towards others. Your goal should be to bring joy to others around you. This is the way!
Hey Champ,
As the year comes to a close, December is a special time. It’s when we look back at the year that has passed and start thinking about what lies ahead. Just like you clean your room before a new school term, this is a good time to clean your mind and heart too. Let’s talk about how to take only the good moments and important lessons with us while leaving behind the things that weigh us down.
Be Like a Sieve: Retain the Good, Let Go of the Bad
Imagine you’re holding a sieve. When you pour sand and tiny stones into it, the sieve keeps the useful bits and lets go of the rest. Life is like that too. Each year brings good memories, lessons, and challenges. While it’s important to learn from the tough times, you don’t have to carry their weight into the new year.
The Bhagavad Gita reminds us:
“यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः।
समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते॥”
(Gita 4.22)
Translation: A person who is content with what comes by chance, free from dualities like joy and sorrow, and not envious, is not bound by their actions.
This means that instead of clinging to what made us upset or angry, we should practice letting go. If you hold on to the bad things, they can burst open later like a bag of spoiled food, creating problems for you and others. So, take the lessons, but leave behind the baggage.
Be Like a Lighthouse: A Beacon of Hope
Have you seen a lighthouse? It stands tall on the shore, shining a bright light for ships in the dark sea. The lighthouse doesn’t focus on the storms or the waves—it focuses on guiding others to safety. You can be like a lighthouse, carrying within you a light so strong that it becomes a source of hope for others.
The Gita teaches:
“तस्मात्सर्वेषु कालेषु योगयुक्तो भवार्जुन।
योगो हि कर्मसु कौशलम्॥”
(Gita 2.50)
Translation: Therefore, always remain connected with your inner purpose. Yoga is the skill in performing actions wisely.
By focusing on being your best self, you can inspire and guide others, just like the lighthouse. Carry your inner light into the new year, leaving behind the darkness of past disappointments or regrets.
Be Like a Navigator: Look Ahead, Not Behind
Think about a navigator on a ship. They use a map to guide the ship forward, not to dwell on the wrong turns or mistakes they made earlier. You can learn from your past, but don’t let it pull you back. Worry about taking the next step, not the ones you already took.
Here’s a beautiful lesson from the Bhagavad Gita:
“उद्धरेदात्मनाऽऽत्मानं नात्मानमवसादयेत्।
आत्मैव ह्यात्मनो बन्धुरात्मैव रिपुरात्मनः॥”
(Gita 6.5)
Translation: One must lift oneself by one’s own efforts and not degrade oneself. The self is both a friend and an enemy to the individual.
This verse reminds us to focus on lifting ourselves up and not letting our past mistakes weigh us down. The next step is always more important than the last one.
Let the Past Stay in the Past, but Keep Its Lessons
The past is like a book you’ve already read. You don’t need to carry the entire book with you, but you can keep its most important lessons in your mind. These lessons will help you when you need guidance.
One last thought from the Gita:
“सुखदुःखे समे कृत्वा लाभालाभौ जयाजयौ।
ततो युद्धाय युज्यस्व नैवं पापमवाप्स्यसि॥”
(Gita 2.38)
Translation: Treat happiness and sorrow, gain and loss, victory and defeat equally. Then, engage with life’s challenges without hesitation.
This means that no matter what the past year brought—happy moments, struggles, successes, or failures—you should take it all in stride. Don’t let it define you or hold you back. Instead, take its wisdom and step into the new year with strength.
A New Year, A New Light
So, my champ, as we step into 2025, remember to be like a sieve, a lighthouse, and a navigator. Keep the good memories and lessons, shine brightly for yourself and others, and look forward to the journey ahead. Leave behind any heaviness, and start the new year with hope, focus, and determination.
Love you infinity times infinity!