Hey guys,

A brand new day, a brand new year. Another chance for us to wipe clean the proverbial slate and start life anew. For many of us, the new year brought with it a pall of gloom. The killer tsunami wrecked havoc in South East Asia and brought life almost to a complete standstill for a while. The morning after Christmas was a dark day for many. It evoked mixed responses from people and left an indelible impression on us all. Many lives, livelihood, homes and families were washed away by the very sea that had supported them all these years. In a fraction of a second, their lives were changed in ways that none of us can imagine.

Having volunteered for relief operations in Tamil Nadu, I have seen and done things that I would have never dreamed of in my worst nightmare. What this experience has taught me is that life is too short to waste on petty, insignificant things. People from all walks of life have contributed in any way they could – time, money, food, medical aid and clothes. Orphans from Pondicherry wrote letters of condolence to children who had been orphaned in this tragedy. What struck me most was that people came in, rolled up their sleeves and were ready to help in any way they could, even if it meant sacrificing 10 days of loss of pay. A sizeable chunk of these volunteers were below 25. In my book, these people are the real heroes.

What each of us must look into are the changes that we must make so this world can be a better place. Every thought, every action matters. In this mad race that we call time, we must learn to sort out our priorities and rethink our lives. It is time for change-leadership, where our leaders lead by example, making decisions that matter and work for a common cause. It is time to give hope and love to the hope-less and downtrodden. At the end of the day, all we want is happiness. I hope this year will bring what we want and more. Have a great one…