Chairman’s Message

*WISHING YOU A FULFILLING NEW YEAR, 2026*

Dear friends,

January 1st is a cluttered day that strains our message boxes and burns out our storage capacities. We are left with little patience to either read or write a longish message.

*I wish you all, dear friends and your lovely families a very happy, healthy, and fulfilling New Year, 2026. *

New Year occasions offer an opportunity to thank for the past and resolve for the future.

I take this opportunity to thank each one of you, for all your love, for your trust, for your affection, and for accepting me as your friend. It would be an act of remiss to not also remember everyone who has handheld us directly and indirectly from our childhood – our parents, our families, our teachers at different rungs of our educational ladder, our professional colleagues, and the wider society. While there are many among them, we know, there are many others whose support has brought us to this stage, but we are not privy to. Therefore, we owe our gratitude to everyone, whether within or outside of our awareness. 

*NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS: *

It is almost a de rigeur to make new year resolutions. We do make, and we remain pretty rigorous to begin with. Soon, the grind of the routine takes over, and our resolutions are bid an au revoir until we arrive at the doorstep of another new year at the end of 365 days. *Hence, the first resolution that we are well advised to make is to remain a strong adherent of the resolutions we make* 

Introspecting over the identification of some personal resolutions, health emerged as the priority candidate. Thought, let me voice some thoughts around it, for my own benefit, and possibly for friends and family, who may find some merit in my loud thinking. *Here we go, then: *

1. Viktor Frankl, a psychologist, known for his system of treatment called LOGOTHERAPY (in contrast to the more popular psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud), and one who spent years in the concentration camp at Aushwitz believes that, *” Our health depends on that natural tension that arises from comparing what we have accomplished so far with what we would like to achieve in the future.”*

2. The takeaway from the above is *” What we need is not an undisturbed/peaceful existence, but a challenge we can strive to meet by applying all the knowledge and skills available at our disposal. *

3. Acceptance of challenges in life helps us negotiate the existential crises that are common in the modern world, in which people do what they are told what to do or what others do, rather than WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.”* 

4. The thought supra helps us discover the purpose of our life, which is one of the important corner stones to experience a long, healthy, happy, and youthful life. LOGOTHERAPY says, *”Discovering our PURPOSE in life helps us fill the existential void.* *ONE OF OUR IMPORTANT RESOLUTIONS, THEREFORE, MUST BE TO IDENTIFY THE PURPOSE OF OUR LIFE (if not done so far), so that, we have a stimulus to wake up every morning with enthusiasm.

5. Escaping the velocity of aging, as abstracted from the book IKIGAI:

1. Active Mind, Youthful Body – The age-old proverb, ‘A sound mind in a sound body ‘ suggests us that the two – body and mind – are interdependent. While we are aware of the need to exercise our body, we are less conscious of regularly exercising our minds. It is important to challenge our minds by consciously learning new things even though they are bound to disturb our coziness. An unchallenged mind causes quicker atrophy of our neurons and neural connections.

2. Stress kills longevity – Let’s remember that, “greater the stress, greater the degenerative effect on our cells.” The solution lies in mindfully reducing the stress by developing resilience based on inculcating an intrepid habit of nurturing hope, optimism, and confidence. 

3. Avoid sedentary lifestyle – walk or cycle to work, say no to lifts & escalators, and prefer to walk up the staircase. 

4. Fill your stomach to a maximum of 80%; exercise light, but regularly; cultivate friendships and participate in societal activities; sleep well; and work on your purpose of life.

6. FINAL SUGGESTIONS:

1. Osho said, ” Life in itself has no meaning. Life is an opportunity to create meaning.” 

2. Never fear failures, for they add romance to life. Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch painter who recognised his purpose of life in painting, said, “One who knows not what is sorry, has no story to tell in life.”

3. Resilience comes from cultivating a purpose in life. Nietzsche’s aphorism validates this belief when he says, “He who has a WHY to live for can bear with almost ANY HOW.”

4. Mahatma Gandhi emphasized, “It is the health that is real wealth. Not pieces of gold and silver.”

Let me put a full stop by thanking you once again from the bottom of my heart, and I look forward to being in your life as a friend and family member. 

A relaxed Sunday to you.

*Ashok Dalwai*

*Bengaluru*

*4th January, 2026*

*Sunday*