Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

We have all been doing it. I am doing it now. Reflecting on this year which will be history in a few hours. Remembering both our triumphs and missteps, our promises made and broken. The times we opened ourselves up to great adventures or closed ourselves down for fear of getting hurt. The New Year is about getting another chance. A chance to do better, to do more, to give more. To stop worrying about what if and start embracing what can be. So at midnight, I want to remember to be kinder, more gracious and more loving. To do the right thing. Not just tonight but all year long.

This is my last post for the year. I am going to write candidly, capturing my thoughts and feelings. This year marks the beginning of a new decade. The year Singapore held two watershed elections, with a year-end MRT debacle. The year of Arab Spring, Osama, Gaddafi, Occupy Wall Street, Euro crisis, royal wedding, floods in Thailand, tsunami and nuclear crisis in Japan. The year social media dramatically democratized societies and redefined politics. The year Steve Jobs, Liz Taylor and Kim Jong Il passed on. The year my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The year I arrived at a personal crossroads.

I woke up this morning specially to capture the last sunrise of 2011 from my balcony. This may not be the most stunning shot of a sunrise. But it is the real thing. From 6.30 to 7am I saw, with delight, the gradual but relentless transition of the sky. The street lamps were bright and then they were dim against the brightening daylight. The subtle yet persistent change of colour was breathtaking. This is the first time I registered and captured the passing of time. It is of course more momentous that this is the day before the dawn of a new year.

I didn’t have much time to watch as many movies as I would like to. When I saw ‘The Help’, it inspired me as a film producer. It was helmed by a first time feature director who was an actor. It deserves to be the breakout hit it is. The other major breakout is ‘You Are The Apple Of My Eye’, another director’s feature debut. Within minutes I was drawn into the world of a teenager and happily relived the innocence and joy of youth. ‘The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes’ and ‘Mission Impossible 4 – Ghost Protocol’ restored my faith in Hollywood sequels and remakes, while ‘Wuxia’ and ‘The Flying Swords Of Dragon Gate’ showed inventiveness and how the East is embracing new technology.

The breakout stars of 2011 are Adele, Ke Zhengdong, and in Singapore, Michelle Chong and Yam Ah Mee. Adele proved it would be impossible to find someone like her. Ke Zhengdong became the apple of our eyes. Michelle went from already famous to really famous. And Yam Ah Mee became the most unlikely online celebrity of the Singapore elections. The interesting thing about looking back on a year is how different somethings are at the beginning and at the end of the year. No one would expect the elections in Singapore to be such a wakeup call for the governing party. That Lee Kuan Yew would step down. That social media could be as bold as it is today in countries like China and here in Singapore.

What are the profound moments of 2011? When my mother was wheeled into the operation room, I felt a rush of emotions. I am still a little surprised how positive and how much faith I had in my mother’s courage and strength. This year I finally started practising having faith. In myself and in the universe. When I reach for the stars, to remind myself that the stars are deep within me. That only I can effect the change I need. Only I can be aware of my own limiting beliefs and my negative thought patterns. That change is an ongoing, re-learning undertaking that begins with disciplined action. And when I falter or fall, to have the confidence in who I am to pick myself up. I am slowly and bravely accepting my weaknesses and acknowledging my strengths. With enough courage to say, however difficult, ‘no’ and ‘yes’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘hello’. Goodbye 2011. Hello 2012!

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