A Whispering Call

Andrew Heanngam Pamei *

A Whispering Call

As the New Year dawns, the month January reminds me of a Roman God "JANUS", the two faced God. One facing the front, the other facing the back and the one facing the front look forward to the coming year while the other facing backward look at the year passed by. And so in this year 2014, we the people of Manipur should have our view like the Roman God Janus where we should look forward to the coming year with faith, hope and love and look back to the year gone and learn from it if there's anything worth it.

When we look back, we regret the things we didn't do more than the things we did. But discourage not, for where there's a shadow there's a light. Do not miss the flower because it lost its bloom, but rather look forward to the spring when its beauty shall return yet again. Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now, this year, and make a brand new ending.

With the dawn of this New Year 2014, we shall all make a willful decision to do something and move forward to bring a change in our state in general and to the nation at large. We shouldn't be afraid of change, we may end losing something good, but we need to remember that we'll probably end up gaining something better. As the father of our nation Mahatma Gandhi says "Be the change you want to see in the world" we should all give something that we can, the best we can, so as to bring out the best change in this terrific year 2014 because change will not come if we wait for some other people or some other times. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.

As the song of Michael Jackson goes, "We are the world", let us make a firm resolution to change ourselves so that we can change the world. Now is the right time to stay out of our own way. Let us not dream up a thousand reasons why we can't do what we want to; but find one reason why we can because it will be a lot easier to do all things we should do than spend the rest of our life wishing we had. Let us arise, awake and act boldly and decisively this year that we'll stand for truth even when we're alone.

It is far better to be associated with a few who are right and truthful than with the mob who are wrong and corrupted, because Righteous and truthful are always the winner in the end. Peace flows from a righteous heart. When there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character, when there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home, when there is harmony in the home, there is an order in the nation and when there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world.

My earnest request goes to all the readers to look forward to the days of 2014 and contribute our something to bring peace and prosperity with greater perspective because future is not some place where we are going, but one we are creating. It is something that we create. And this activity of making the future changes both the maker and the destination.

I find that a lot of people of today's generation no longer hope for the best, they only just hope to avoid the worst. This is a wrong attitude. We should always and everywhere hope for the best. Let's all move forward this year with a dream and hope in our hearts to build a better Manipur, a better nation and a better world.

If we choose to use our status and influence to raise our voice on behalf of those who have no voice, if we choose to identify not only with the powerful but with the powerless, if we retain the ability to imagine ourselves into the lives of those who do not have our advantages, then I hope not only will our family celebrate our existence but thousands and millions of people whose reality we have helped to change will celebrate. Just one act of ours may be all it takes to turn the tide of another person's life.

Let's find the problems we're an answer to and solve it with courage, for there's no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and lifting someone else up. If we don't like something, let us not stand at complain counter, instead change it. Even if we can't change it, we can still change the way we think about it.

Many of us heard opportunities knocking at our door, but by the time we unhooked the chain, pushed back the bolt, turned two locks, and shut off the burglar alarm – it was gone! Too many people spend their lives looking around, looking down, or looking behind. God says look up. The sky's not the limit. So, let sky, be not our limit when we see footprints on the surface of the moon. I would like to conclude with a short powerful story of an eagle.

The Eagle has the longest lifespan of its species. It can live up to 70 years. But to reach this age, the eagle must make a hard decision. In its 40th year, its long and flexible talons can no longer grab prey which serves as food. Its long and sharp beak becomes bent. Its old aged and heavy wings due to their thick feathers stick to its chest and make it difficult to fly. Then, the eagle is left with only two options: die or go through painful process of change… The process requires that the eagle fly to a mountain top and sit on its nest.

There the eagle knocks its beak against the rock until it plucks it out. Then the eagle will wait for new beak to grow back and then it will pluck out its talons. When its new talons grow back, the eagle starts plucking its old aged feathers. And after this, the eagle takes its famous flight of rebirth and lives for 30 more years. Why is change needed? – In order to survive and live! We too have to start the change process.

We need to get rid of unpleasant old memories, negative habits and our fixed mindset. Only freed from the past burdens, can we take advantage of the present and the future, and in order to take a new journey ahead, we need to let go of our negative old limiting beliefs, open up our fixed mindset and let ourselves fly high again like an eagle.

Let us go forth with the will to bring peace in our state with co-operation among the people of hills and vale. To bring peace, we need the most powerful energy i.e., the Prayer energy, because during prayer, amazing things start happening. Direction, peace, love and forgiveness burst onto the scene. It brings momentum and lifts the heart above the challenges of life and gives it a view of God's resources of victory and hope.

Prayer may not change all things for us, but it sure changes us for all things. Peace springs out of Love. In fact, Love is a holistic notion which encompasses all human feelings like affection, compassion, respect and commitment. In a nutshell, Love is a willful decision. One of the greatest commandments, as the Holy Bible says, is to love one another and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Despite various cultures, beliefs, caste, creed or race, let's love one another, so that Peace- the product of love dwells in our state Manipur. Let us make this state the most peaceful state of India where we can live with mind without fear and our head held high. And the year 2014 gives A WHISPERING CALL to bring a positive change, to be thankful, to dream big and to never, ever give up in life.....

Wish you all a very happy New Year, a happy lives and a prosperous year ahead. God bless you all.