God's Way

10 Life-Changing New Year Resolutions for Sikhs 2018

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Is it the time of the year when we set the New Year resolutions for 2018 as to how we wish to conduct ourselves, or what we want to achieve for betterment and self-improvement?

New Year’s resolutions seem so exciting and full of promise when made, but just after few days passed on, we tend to forget our resolutions and get lost in our old routine. The reason we aren’t able to execute our new year resolutions because we are not ready for a change, and to forcibly change our self, we tend to think of our New Year’s resolution as a sacrifice and sacrifices don’t work very well with our subconscious.



I never understand why we set our resolutions on New Year? Can’t we set our resolutions on any day of the year? If yes, then Make 2018 your year and focus on being a better version of yourself every day.

Every day is a new day, a new beginning, but what new we do daily?

The real newness lies ‘within’ and can perpetually stay ‘renewed’ by the regular assimilation of Gurbani.

As per Gurbani,

ਸੋ ਦਿਨੁ ਸਫਲੁ ਗਣਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਮਿਲਾਇਆ ਰਾਮ ॥:
That day is judged to be fruitful, when I merged with my Lord. (SGGS Ang 547).

 

Gurbani repeatedly reminds us in different ways about our true purpose here on earth. It chides us wasting this human life slip by, for letting the span of our years run out. it is a difficult for our Mind, to meditate on the Guru, the Lord of the Universe because we are highly influenced with Lust (Kaam), Anger (Krodh), Greed (Lobh), Attachment (Moh) and Pride (Ahnkar).

Gurbani Says,

“ਜਨਮ ਜਨਮ ਕੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਨ ਕਉ ਮਲੁ ਲਾਗੀ ਕਾਲਾ ਹੋਆ ਸਿਆਹੁ ॥
The filth of countless incarnations sticks to this mind; it has become pitch black.” (SGGS Ang 651)

ਖੰਨਲੀ ਧੋਤੀ ਉਜਲੀ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਜੇ ਸਉ ਧੋਵਣਿ ਪਾਹੁ ॥
The oily rag cannot be cleaned by merely washing it, even if it is washed a hundred times.

 

In order to build a better us, we need to take initiative to change our daily routine and get out of our comfort zone. Nothing Worth Having Comes Easily.

New Year Resolutions for Sikhs could be to work for your own betterment, for Sikh community, for Sikh awareness or for helping the one in need. This is the time to act as these days new generation of young Sikh men’s are trimming their hairs and abandoning the turban, the most conspicuous emblem of the Sikh faith. We have to battle hard to turn back the tide else in another 20 years or so India might not have any more Sikhs in turbans.

 

Ideally, the Sikh New Year begins with Chet 1 which in the Common Era calendar is March 14 but I believe you can work to improve yourself any time of the year.

So, below I have created a list of resolutions for Sikhs to choose from and become a better human being. Pick any or all of these, and stick to it. And if you have a further suggestion, please feel free to comment.

 

Here is the list of resolutions for Sikhs that can be followed any time of the Year.          

 

1. Read more Gurbani and try to understand it.

It is amazing how Gurbani enlightens you if you pause and try to understand the meaning of Gurbani while reading, rather than doing just routine Nitnem. There are two ways to go about understanding Gurbani. The first one is the purposeful study, in which you read the Gurbani to understand it’s meaning, and the second is, when you recite Gurbani, you will automatically understand the meaning intuitively. Gurbani says,

ਬਾਣੀ ਬਿਰਲਉ ਬੀਚਾਰਸੀ ਜੇ ਕੋ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਇਹ ਬਾਣੀ ਮਹਾ ਪੁਰਖ ਕੀ ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਵਾਸਾ ਹੋਇ ॥੪੦॥
Only a rare person contemplates on Gurbani and such person can do so only if he is a Gurmukh. This Baani of great Purakh is such that who ever contemplates on it, finds residence in real personal abode.

The above reference from Gurbani leaves no doubt that an effort should be made to understand Gurbani. May Guru Sahib bless us with mental strength to listen and understand Gurbani with full maryada.

 

2. Bring more people back into the Sikhi.

It is difficult but not impossible. I always asked this question to myself, why Sikh people trim their hairs? Who is responsible for it? And whom should we blame? Is it Education, Parents, Teachers, Friends or surroundings? Almost 70% of Sikhs do not know about Sikh history, culture, faiths and beliefs and most of them do not want to know. I think this is where we are lacking. If you are firm believer of Guru Granth Sahib and admire Sikh history then you will never ever get a thought of trimming your hairs, but what if you don’t want to know about Guru Granth Sahib Ji, then no one can stop you from becoming a cut-kesh Sikh (Sikh Person who trim their hair and do not wear the turban).

So let’s try to convince and educate Clean Shaven Sikhs about Sikh culture & history and bring them back to Sikhi.

 

3. Recite Japji Sahib every day.

Is it really difficult to get 10 minutes of your time to recite Japji Sahib? Whoever recites Japji Sahib with love, dedication and humility will have the complete blessing of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. There are thirty-eight Pauris in Japji Sahib that would liberate the humanity from the cycles of birth and death.

So, if you do not recite Japji Sahib daily, let’s try to make it a daily habit and also try to wake up at Amritvela to make it more effective.

Here is the Japji Sahib video, I listen daily. It’s very soothing and relaxing. Just listen it for few minutes and you will feel peace. If you like the video then do subscribe the channel. I will add more video’s soon which will touch your heart.

4. If you wear Patka, now start wearing Pagdi (Turban).

The turban is our Guru’s gift to us. It is how we crown ourselves as the Singhs and Kaurs who sit on the throne of commitment to our own higher consciousness. So if you wear Patka when going to a Gurudwara Sahib or any institution, then start wearing Pagdi from this year. You can learn it from your father, brother, cousins or watching online video’s.

 

5. Memorize a weekly Quote with meaning from Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

Try to learn and memorise one Gurbani Quote every day. Follow and Memorise Gurbani is extremely important for every Sikh, it will motivate and inspire you in whatever work or challenge you face daily. It is your daily medication for the soul. Gurbani Tuks are very powerful and they have the power to tear you down and have the power to build you up. It’s our Choice how we adopt it.

To get daily “Gurbani Thought of the day” mail to your inbox. Please visit the link Power Of Gurbani – Thought Of the Day and subscribe. 

 

6. Listen and Recite Naam Simran Daily for 15minutes

Naam Simran is very pure and powerful. Through Naam Simran, we address the Almighty God and praise Him. Naam Simran can include a single word, collection of words or a statement that connects you with Him and initiate an unconditional love for Him in your mind. These words can be “Waheguru”, “Satnam Waheguru”, “EkOnkar”, “Mool Mantra”, “Ek Tuhi” and many more.

॥ ਜਪੁ ॥
Chant And Meditate.
 

Suniye Dukh paap Ka Naas
By Listening Gurbani, pain and sins are erased.

It is being said that whoever hears “Naam Simran” would never go through the 84 Lakhs (8.4 millions) birth circles. Moreover, when a person dies, only his/her time spend reciting Naam Simran is accounted and nothing else is considered. So let’s start it now.

I have included a 5 minute Naam Simran Video in this article. Just listen to it for peace of mind. If you like the video then do subscribe to the channel for more such peaceful, soothing and relaxing music videos.

 

7. Listen to Sikh Radio channels for Gurbani instead of Music

Are you fond of music? Instead of listening to the pop, hip-hop, bhangra or rock songs, you can listen to Gurbani Kirtan (Shabad’s) over Radio channels. There are thousands of Gurbani radio stations worldwide who allows you to listen Gurbani live from Gurudwara’s sahib around the world. Gurbani says,

ਮੇਰੇ ਮੋਹਨ ਸ੍ਰਵਨੀ ਇਹ ਨ ਸੁਨਾਏ ॥ ਸਾਕਤ ਗੀਤ ਨਾਦ ਧੁਨਿ ਗਾਵਤ ਬੋਲਤ ਬੋਲ ਅਜਾਏ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
O my fascinating Lord, may I never listen to the faithless cynic, singing his songs and tunes, and chanting his useless words. ||1||Pause||

 

8. Help the Sikh community to grow

Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world but with a painful truth that we are largely misunderstood and misinterpreted by many people outside India. Even in India, young Sikh generations are not following Sikh lifestyle. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is Earth’s most widely traveled Prophet and this is the reason why Sikhism is still alive today and why we are 20 million people. But sadly after the Gurus, our community has done little (with the exception of a few groups/individuals) to propagate Sikh philosophy and the Sikh lifestyle.

So, it’s our duty to promote Sikhism and create awareness among the young generation. You can help the Sikh community in following ways:

–       By Providing Support, Strength and Hope to the needy Sikh people.
–       Sikhism related Training and Education for the young generation.
–       Encourage your young brothers and sister to visit Gurudwara daily.
–       Share the greatness of Gurbani and the glorious history of the great Gurus who blessed us both with their teachings and their presence.

There are many other ways as well. Please share your opinions.



9. Spend atleast 4 hours a week for Waheguru.

Normally, we have time for everything, but not for the Almighty Waheguru who blessed us with health, wealth and happiness. Spend some time in asking God for forgiveness for our sins. Let’s make a resolution to spend at least 4 hours of relaxed, uninterrupted time with God. During this time, perhaps you can volunteer, meditate, go to Gurudwara, learn more about Sikhi, pray etc.

 

10. Smile more and Stay Fit.

Last but not the least, this year make a habit of Smiling. Also, It’s a well known proven fact that the simple act of smiling can make you happier and healthier, even if your smile is a forced one.  So practice more in 2017.

Trust God for all your needs and just enjoy the time you live on this earth. This year, commit yourself to:

More Smiles, Less Anger,
More Walking, Less Driving
More Exercising, Less Watching TV
More Calm, Less Chaos
More Consciousness, Less Ignorance
More Love, Less Hatred
More Play, Less Serious
More Letting Go, Less Holding On
More Forgiving, Less Blaming
More Generosity, Less Greed

 

Let’s make a new resolution that couldn’t possibly fail and leads us live as per Sikh Way of Life.

So, which New Year resolutions you wish to select and follow in 2018? What is your idea of new year resolutions for Sikhs?

Please share your thoughts, views and ideas on how to make 2018 a great year for Sikh’s Success. Please feel free to share anything.

 

 


The aim of the Sikh Professionals and Entrepreneurs group is to strengthen the Sikh community by connecting, sharing, helping each others and Succeed. Subscribe to our Newsletter for latest posts, news and be a part of Sikh Professionals Network Family.

“Conquer your Mind and you can Conquer the Universe” —Guru Nanak Dev Ji Howdy!! My Name is Puneet Singh Nanda, I love to spend my time on the Web and started my web journey ~9 years ago. I am Web addict, developer, freelancer, blogger and research writer. I spend my weekends in developing web applications, websites, reading and writing technical blogs, researching on new web advancements.

7 Comments

  1. Amarjeet Singh

    December 30, 2017 at 2:27 pm

    Dear Khalsa ji, I have lots of great ideas, which I want share not on fb

  2. Niranjan kaur dr.

    December 30, 2017 at 3:33 pm

    Bahut accha idea, waheguru mehar karen.

  3. Jasdeep Singh

    January 3, 2018 at 9:34 am

    Excellent interpretation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji…However,i think rather then tending & limiting your reach to sikh diaspora only, one could always present this as a universal way of life,irrespective of any particular race or religion…and this was apparently prime motive behind Guru Nanak dev ji travelling across terrains & geographies to spread the message of peace,harmony & oneness…with millions following his school of thought….Faith is what one lost soul is always searching for….

    • Puneet Singh Nanda

      January 3, 2018 at 9:52 am

      Thanks Jasdeep! True and I agree but let’s first follow this in our daily life. Change yourself and the world changes with you.

      The motivation of this article is to make people connect with Sikhism again with easy to implement resolutions.

  4. Paramjit Singh

    January 8, 2018 at 2:36 am

    Certainly we do need co-sharing, co-motivation, co-operation, as the Sikh population ratio has sharply declined. And the community is diminishing on its break even piont.
    Good idea but an effective startgy is also needed.
    Waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh.

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