30 years of being Anuja!

Celebrations are in order — I have completed 30 revolutions around the Sun!

What? I cannot believe this myself and so can’t my parents — for them, I’m still that tiny little hand that caught their finger, swaddled tightly in green cloth, and changed their lives forever along with my twin sister. And in many ways, I am still that baby who wants nothing more than holding their finger and watching them smile.

30 years, densely-packed with rich experiences and lessons, with challenges and reflections, with knowledge of self and the world — never a dull moment; that my close ones and I will confidently say with a chuckle!

I have dreamed of lofty goals and reached where I never thought I could — I look back and smile at how far I’ve come and how rewarding the journey has been. I have loved with all my heart; known the depths of love, its limitless reaches and learnt that there’s nothing more powerful than love in this world!

I have been hurt and shattered. I have endured the pain, dusted my knees and pulled myself back up. I have forgiven those who wronged me and who never asked for forgiveness — for my own sake; for if there’s one important lesson I now live by, it is to save my own mind at all costs.

I have seen the world and its people enough to realize that I am truly blessed and fortunate. I have won the lottery of birth — to get the parents I was born to; I must have really rocked it in my previous lives to be born into the family I was. I had the good fortune of having a buddy at (and before) birth — my twin sister, Aditi. She is truly the most infectious ball of energy, madness and cheer in my life — someone who can sense a shift in my energy 6000 miles across the world and with whom no topic is off-limits. My life partner, Devdnya, is everything I could have ever asked for — gentle, loving, sensitive and observant — a truly equal partner to play the jenga of life with. My friends, both local and long-distance, make the journey of life fun, exciting and a truly shared experience. I cannot thank the Universe enough for the immense love I receive from the beautiful people in my life — so much of love that my heart is brimming every single moment, with joy and celebration.

I have seen the pain, ill health, disease and debilitation in the world and realized how fortunate I am to have a beautiful, strong, healthy, disease-free body that allows me to do and be all that I want. I have had challenges accepting my body over the years — for many years I wished it was leaner and smaller; I didn’t appreciate its curves and bends and creases. But today, at 30, I love my body and respect it for all the beautiful experiences I have had over the years only because my body supported me wholly. I have fully committed myself to giving my body all the love and care, nourishing it with nutritious food and exercise and treating it like the temple that it is.

I became a seeker — I read the sacred texts, I started to absorb spiritual knowledge and practices from my Guru and I realized I only became a sincere seeker at my lowest, when I could only perceive darkness all around me — I had known of the light but could never see it shine as bright until that moment when that seemed like the only possibility. I learnt to see the Divine in everyone and to play along in the leela that life is. This is, without doubt, the biggest blessing.

With life experiences, I have realized the transient nature of all things — more so during the COVID-19 pandemic —nothing, good or bad, stays forever. With this knowledge, I’ve learnt to live each moment fully, without worrying about the future or dwelling over the past. It’s also allowed me to learn to detach myself from results of my actions and act freely. Moreover, I don’t take myself seriously anymore owing to this very important realization. Nothing’s going to last anyway, why worry? These are lessons that have taken a lot of years and experiences to really internalize and I truly value the beauty of them today.

After 30 years, I feel like the adventure has really only begun. I feel better equipped — mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually — than I felt entering my 20s and I’m ready to experience all that’s been planned out for me — the good and the bad, the happy and the sad — for what’s life really without that balance?

Here’s to dancing to the music of my life and improvising with every new scene! Cheers!