Its not just the end of another year, for me its the coming to close of three decades of living on this fragile, ever-changing, dynamo of a planet! The big 30 as they say, when you finally run out of excuses and have to well, grow up! With a good quarter left before the turn of events. I find this a rather good time to lament and wrap up the lists of the decade. The shoulds, the coulds and the woulds as I would call them! Here are my learning’s from my humble existence on the planet, after all we are nothing but space dust! =)

The Shoulds

1. Laugh. No not just smile, but at the cost of appearing like a lunatic, laugh.
2. Be carefree. We aren’t matter, we’re energy, a bunch of waves.
3. Sing. Even if you flatter yourself croaking like a frog.
4. Dance. Yes in the living room, in the bathroom(if you slip, fall, get-up, repeat), on the dance floor, in Zumba class.
5. Move. 10000 steps a day I am told, the more the merrier.
6. Let go. Of clutter, of memories, of obsessing over the future.
7. Draw. However much, whatever it is, line drawings, pencil sketches, ink or watercolor.
8. Pump the adrenaline. Take that risk, jump off a building, a plane.
9. Work. Do your part in contributing to the world through food, clothes or shelter.
10. Have a goal. Steer the mast of your boat, catch the wind in your hair and sails.

The Coulds

1. Eat cake for breakfast. Provided you ran 10 km before that and ate salad for dinner.
2. Travel the world. Provided you finished the US first and plan the rest of the world later.
3. Read a book a week. It could be a booklet too, just teleport into another world.
4. Engage a partner-in-crime. You could not climb the Mount Everest alone. Period.
5. Dress to impress. It could get you in the papers or simply noticed for what you said.
6. Practice coloring. Becoming smarter could be a worthy life-skill.
7. Follow your dreams. It could get you killed but heck you’d die anyway.
8. Forgive. Yourself. It could lighten your load.
9. Don’t get mad. You could get even though.
10. Write your horoscopes. It could get you to finally believe in miracles.

The Woulds

1. Where there is a will, there is a way. Where there is a would, there is a would-be.
2. Every action has an unequal and disproportionate reaction. All the coulds are followed by the woulds.
3. In the house-court. All that you said would be used against you at the most inconvenient time.
4. Fire, like gossip, spreads. By lighting yourself up you would be lighting up the world.
5. Its all personal. Everything. There is no would be.
6. Hear the tone. Would you please do would mean just do.
7. Know when to shut up. You would save yourself a great deal of heartbreak.
8. Live for once. And then once would be more than enough.
9. Be a rockstar. You would be living your dream.
10. Be a sportstar. Then you would be living the planetary predictions.

Most importantly, ah be fun and funny, delirious and high on life. Here’s a toast to the living. Merry everything and Happy always, like they say! Happy 2017 peeps.

On a serious note. Here’s wisdom from Tolkien. Who’s books are on the reading list in the upcoming year. LOTR!

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king!