5 Lessons from the Rollercoaster Year of 2024: Grateful for the Ingredients | Gurasis Singh

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Reflecting on a year that was as challenging as it was rewarding, I share my transformative journey through 2024, a year marked by personal milestones and professional triumphs. Imagine rejuvenating family time in India, achieving podcast milestones, and breaking new ground with my first live radio interview and Canadian TV debut. This year was a testament to resilience and growth, and I learned the true power of celebrating the journey, not just the destination. December brought an unexpected illness that reminded me of health's foundational role in our lives, making me more grateful for every high, low, and lesson that came my way.

As we look ahead to 2025, embracing courage and faith becomes paramount. With the guiding mantra, "Take the leap and believe," this episode underscores the importance of moving beyond comfort zones and trusting in the uncertain journey ahead. By believing in our abilities and vision, we can discover something beautiful on the other side of challenges. Reflecting on the past year, I invite you to find gratitude in your own experiences and to celebrate life's beautifully imperfect moments.

Thank you for being part of my 2024, and here's to a hopeful, fulfilling, and incredible 2025. Happy New Year!

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Episode Transcript

Gurasis (00:01):
As we bid farewell to 2024 and embrace the promise of
a new year, I want to take amoment to reflect on the
rollercoaster ride this year hasbeen.
It's been an year of tests andtriumphs, growth and gratitude,
tears and tenacity.
And, as always, this time ofthe year is when I sit down to

(00:26):
unpack the lessons that shapedme and the ones I hope will
resonate with you as well.
So every year, I choose a wordor a phrase to guide me, to act
as a reminder of how I want toapproach life in that particular
year.
For 2023, that word wascelebrate, a commitment to

(00:52):
celebrate small wins instead ofrushing to the next thing.
And for 2024, my phrase wasgrateful for the ingredients,
grateful for the ingredients,grateful for the ingredients,
where it's all aboutappreciating not just the final
outcomes but every step of thejourney, the raw materials, the

(01:14):
process, the efforts, thestumbles and the small victories
that ultimately createsomething meaningful.
And let me tell you, thismindset has been my anchor this
year.
Let's talk about the lessons.
So the first one is celebratethe journey, not just the

(01:50):
destination.
So 2024 reminded me that lifeisn't just about the big moments
, but about finding joy in theprocess, the little ingredients.
So this year started as a testof everything I had learned in
the past my patience,self-belief and ability to
contain my emotions.

(02:11):
It was tough no sugarcoating ithere.
It was tough.
But by the month of March Ifound myself rejuvenated after a
trip to India spending qualitytime with my family.
It was a gift I'll cherishforever.
This year also brought thehighest number of podcast

(02:34):
downloads I have ever received.
It was a much needed reminderthat there's always something
good in adversity, alwayssomething good in adversity.
And then, in the month of May,I recorded my first ever
in-studio episode of my ThickAccent, three years after the

(02:54):
podcast's idea was born.
Well, these moments weren'tjust milestones.
They were a celebration of thejourney and a reminder to savor
every step.
Second resilience through highsand lows.
So if I had to describe 2024 inone word, it would be

(03:18):
resilience.
From being laid off in Januaryto battling homesickness and
illness, this year threw someheavy punches at me.
By the month of July I wasquestioning myself, my skills
and my vision.
And it's also the month of mybirthday, and birthdays always
do that to me.

(03:38):
They become these checkpointswhere I ask what have I achieved
so far?
And if the answer isn't what Ihoped for.
It's hard not to feel defeated,but then life threw in some
unexpected highs as well.
I gave my first ever live radiointerview in Punjabi, in my

(04:01):
mother tongue, on Red FM.
I also made my Canadian TVdebut on Just TV and got
featured in not one but twomagazines.
And these experiences remindedme that resilience isn't just
about enduring the tough times.
It's also about finding thelight when it feels dark.

(04:24):
The third one the importance ofcommunity connection and
audience.
So 2024 was a year ofreconnection for me.
My extended stay in Indiaallowed me to understand my
parents in ways I never hadbefore, spending few months with

(04:45):
them instead of those casualthree, four weeks.
It gave me a new perspective ontheir lives and their struggles
, which they have never sharedwith me on a long distance call.
And I also reconnected withsome of my friends I haven't met
in six years.
And professionally, I had theopportunity to work on the

(05:10):
digital communications team forthe One Young World conference
in September.
It was a privilege to meet someincredible people from around
the world and have thosemeaningful conversations.
Additionally, connecting withmy podcast audience has been an
incredibly rewarding experiencethis year, hearing from

(05:31):
listeners who found resonanceand value in the stories we
shared on MyThicAccent, made merealize the profound impact of
storytelling.
These experiences reinforcedthe value of community and
connection, both personally andprofessionally.
Number four celebrating wins,big and small.

(05:55):
So this year I launched seasontwo of my Thick Accent and for
the first time it wasn't justaudio, it was video too, and
this shift brought more eyeballsto the show and led to my first
ever sponsorship, a partnershipwith Humber College for one of

(06:16):
their programs.
And these wins were a reminderto pause and celebrate, no
matter how small or big, becauseevery win is a stepping stone
to something greater.
And number five stone tosomething greater.

(06:38):
And number five health iswealth.
It's pretty cliche, but healthis wealth.
I say that because December hitme hard.
I fell ill for nearly 15 days,battling flu symptoms,
homesickness and a deep sense ofloneliness.
Those days made me realize morethan ever that health is the
foundation of everything.

(06:59):
Without it, everything elsebecomes secondary.
On a brighter note, 2024 wasalso the year I finally
committed to my fitness journey.
I have made significantprogress over the past eight
months, achieving my goals andmaintaining a balanced diet, etc
.
Etc.
And this journey has been apowerful reminder that taking

(07:22):
care of yourself is not justimportant, it's very, very
essential.
So, as I reflect on 2024, I'mwith gratitude.
Gratitude for the ingredientsthat made up this year the highs
, the lows, the lessons and thelove.
So for 2025, I have chosen a newguiding phrase take the leap

(07:47):
and believe.
Take the leap and believe.
It's a mantra for courage andfaith courage to step out of our
comfort zones and faith tobelieve in the journey, even
when the path is uncertain.
No matter how uncertain orchallenging things get, there's

(08:07):
always something good waiting onthe other side.
I deeply believe in my skills,my vision and my ability to
build the life I desire, and Ihope this episode inspires you
to reflect on your own ear, findgratitude in the journey and
embrace the ingredients thatmake life so beautifully

(08:29):
imperfect.
Thank you for being a part ofmy 2024.
Here's to a hopeful, fulfillingand incredible 2025.
Happy New Year.