THE POWER OF PRACTICE

Gayathry Rajeev

On New Years’ Day the last two years, I opted for a “word of the year” instead of resolutions.
I enjoy more the creative interpretation of this word in the decisions I make over that year,
rather than sticking to resolutions that were made with no knowledge of the circumstances I
might find myself in.
This year, that word was “practice.”
Compared to my earlier choices, “practice” was a more down-to-earth word. By choosing it, I
sought to find happiness in the everyday work that we sometimes grow tired of. I aimed to be
grateful for the moments of satisfaction of a job well done, or the pleasant soreness after a
gruelling dance practice. I chose the word in the knowledge that these everyday moments are
more abundant than those lofty, breathless moments of success we long for.
As the year passed, I found myself attempting to integrate the idea of practice into other areas
of my life.
I realized how I often allowed myself to be distracted by a YouTube video, or some game on
my phone, and did not listen to loved ones who were seeking my attention. I practiced instead
to put my device aside and listen, and offer them more than just the bare minimum. I
practiced putting my ego aside and apologizing to a friend – something I have had trouble
doing in the past.
As I noticed a slow change in areas that I thought were set in stone, I began to realize that so
much of what we characterize as our personality are just tirelessly repeated habits. Often,
these are just practiced behaviours.
As a society, we emphasize things like success, which is of course important, however a
person defines that word. But we do not often give the same level of appreciation to the act of
getting there, to the many steps that lead to that destination. Especially with the constant
stream of filtered images on social media, we can easily be misled to thinking that life must
always bring us rewards.
But what if we practiced considering the most normal instances, the little acts of kindness, as
important? Could a glance away from our devices save the life of a depressed loved one? If
we adopted more sustainable practices, habits such as reducing our consumption of
manufactured goods, could it not lessen the burden on our planet?
If we practiced being kinder to ourselves, would we not, in the end, create a society that is
kinder to each other?
Choosing this word and looking for areas to apply it in my life has been quite the journey. I
have realized that this is a value that I want to carry with me not just this year, but throughout
my life. Holding this word close has helped me forgive myself when I erred. Because I would
tell myself that I only needed to adopt and be habituated to a different approach. So many
aspects of my life showed themselves as simply requiring more practice, rather than
impossible.
 The willingness to practice is a value that allows me to have a more internalized locus of
control. It adds to my skill set and brings me more opportunities. It also ensures that I do not
measure my life in terms of successes and failures; rather, I find value in the sincerity of my
efforts and in how well I lived those precious, irretrievable moments that together make up
this ocean of life.