Anicca: Word of The Year

#WOTY – Word of the Year 2024

Debdatta Dasgupta February 06, 2024 0 Comments

I know I am very late in posting about my ‘Word of the Year’ as we are into February as I start writing this. Fact is, I had decided on the word in 2023 but I took the month of January to analyse what it would really mean; start living in accordance to that and see whether it is something I can carry on not only for this year but for rest of my life. Whether it is something truly feasible and sustainable.

I have always been proud of the fact that I can see multiple perspectives in a situation. I may not truly understand each of them, but I do see them and try to understand them. When I got this Tattoo, it was to remind myself that there are multiple perspectives in every situation and that it doesn’t make my personal experiences wrong or insignificant. That I had every right to believe in my own perspective of my experience. That my feelings weren’t wrong just because someone else couldn’t see it nor were other people’s feelings wrong because I couldn’t understand it.

Back then I used to take pride in the fact that I could see the perspective of the person in front of me and cut them slack because of it. Yes, you read that right. I USED TO take pride in that. I no longer do because I came to realise that while I was trying to be kind and understanding towards other people - it meant (most of the time) being unkind and unfair to myself. I was the collateral. When I realised that late last year, I turned inwards and started being kind to myself instead. It wasn’t a conscious decision - it just started with ‘I don’t want to deal with this negativity anymore’ and it has brought me more peace than I expected.

In a world that constantly demands our attention, it's easy to lose sight of our own needs and desires. I want 'Perspective' to offer the opportunity to shift the focus inward, creating a space for self-reflection and introspection. I realised that my life is filled with noise. So is your’s, I am sure. If you stop and take stock of the responsibilities, the expectations of others, societal pressures, the constant influx of information, the general confusion and lack of focus around us - you’ll see how exhausting and completely useless it really is. And, your personal growth is often stunted due to it.

So, this year I have started to turn the lens inwards and ask myself - ‘do I want/need this’ and ‘is this good for me’ very consciously about every single thing. Whether it is good or bad - everything will be questioned and acted upon. I will slowly filter out the unnecessary and hone in on what truly matters to me and my own well being. Instead of being overly critical of myself, I will try to view my experiences through a lens that acknowledges my handwork, learnings and growth. I will continue to learn more things and subjects so that I can use it to understand myself better and make my own life better.

I know that I am going to disappoint a lot of people around me and am ready for people to start calling me selfish for not giving them time, space and understanding any longer. And, that’s okay.

#WOTY – Word of the Year 2021

Debdatta Dasgupta January 15, 2021 0 Comments

I think this year is all about trying out new things for me. This year I made New Year Resolutions for the first time. And now I am going to try another new concept, something that has been around for a while, but I am going to try for the first time – Word of the Year!

I first came across this concept on One Word 365 quite some time back. One Word 365 is more than a new way to approach resolutions. Choose one word to focus on through the year. There are no specifics other than commitment to keep your focus and follow through on the word you choose for yourself.

My Word of the Year for 2021

After much consideration I have decided to choose the ‘Strength’ for myself in 2021.

Definition of Strength:

1. The quality or state of being physically strong.

2. The capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure.

3. A good or beneficial quality or attribute of a person or thing.

At first I considered Perseverance for 2021. But then realised that I have been persevering through the last few years and I need to do more than that this year. At 37, I am starting over. A new life without the old habits and influences. With the changes that I am looking to make in my life, things are not going to be easy. And, I will need Strength the most in moving forward.