2024: A Lesson in Gratitude

If there is one word that I would like to use to describe what 2024 meant for me, it would be – Gratitude. The concept is not new, but if applied consistently to one’s life, the results can pleasantly surprise you.

Honestly, I have never been the one to make New Year resolutions, as I strongly believe in living in the present and not dwelling too much on the past or future. Easier said than done, indeed, but this mindset can be attained with a lot of practice.

I have consistently applied the tools of gratitude in my life, and the results have been amazing, to say the least.

However big or small, I routinely express gratitude for those personal achievements and milestones. They may appear inane to some people, but I am grateful for those things in my life.

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Before I get to the “small” things I am genuinely thankful for, there were some things that I achieved last year, and I am supremely grateful for those wins.

I had invested in a property some years back and managed to repay my loan against that house last year. I consider this a massive personal victory that brought peace of mind. I am grateful to the Universe for giving me the resources to fulfil my financial commitments and become debt-free.

Although the debt-free tag was short-lived I decided to tick another box in my list of achievements, and this time, it was buying my very first car.

Buying one’s own car could feel like an accomplishment; it was something I realised after purchasing one. Again, I am immensely thankful to the Universe for making it happen for me.

My brother and sister-in-law migrated to New Zealand in 2022, and visiting that country has been on my wishlist since then. I managed to treat myself to a three-week-long tour of this gorgeous country last year. I am so grateful for the memories and the therapeutic experience travel provides to one’s soul. Forever grateful to God for giving me the resources to take such a leisure trip.

I took my financial planning more seriously and prioritised investments, savings, and expenditures. However, I still rely on my father’s advice as far as financial decisions are concerned. Thank you, God, for an in-house financial expert that is free of charge.

Maintaining a healthy body weight, exercising and eating right are some of the things I was able to achieve, to a large extent, in 2024. I am forever thankful to my trainer, who pushes me to better myself in this fitness journey. The results cannot be measured by any weighing scale, but they can only be felt by me. My idea of fitness goes beyond losing weight, being slim, and fitting into a particular outfit. The journey to holistic health is ongoing, and I am enjoying the ride.

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Now, I will come to the list of not-so-big things that brought me joy in 2024, starting with getting a tattoo. Yes, I finally decided to get inked last year on my birthday, something I had been wanting for a while. It’s a small two-inch tattoo on my wrist, but I fulfilled a long-standing desire by getting one. So yay!

People who know me are aware of my love for sarees, and I am happy that I could add a few more to my collection, some as gifts and some as purchases last year. Only a saree lover can understand how much happiness that can bring.

I can go on and on about the list of things, however big or small, I am thankful for in 2024, but the lessons often lie in failures and not success. Of course, it wasn’t a year without its fair share of lessons for me.

I am also grateful for those experiences, and I hope to emerge stronger from those learnings in 2025.

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