2016 was my annus horribilis. Early in the year, my mom suffered a serious heart attack and while I was taking care of her, I learned my business partner passed away. My mother, thankfully, recovered. My partner’s loss still looms large. During the year, key employees left for careers in their field of study or to help their families. Late in the year, the election results indicated uncertainty ahead of us. Gloom and doom seemed everywhere.
I end the year, however, with gratitude, thankful we had the ability to weather so many misfortunes. I seem to have an endless list of good fortune:
- I am lucky to be in an industry that is thriving – Tea flourishes.
- I was able to take time to care for my mother because of my capable & committed employees.
- Ice machines worked, Air-conditioners performed, Rain & Storms caused no floods. After suffering through days of 104o heat in India without air-conditioning, daily comforts are sweet.
- We made our customers happy. They wrote in with messages of praise & acknowledgement, commending us on our high level of service, prompt deliveries, the education we spread through our many Tea Tastings, customized samples and personalized customer care.
- We were able to share our abundance in big and small ways. We gave to the Plant a Tree campaign, to Breast Cancer Research and to the local Food Pantry. We participated in over 50 worthy causes through donating Gift Baskets for silent auctions.
- I was in Makaibari again. Visiting the Tea Estate that started me on my Tea journey was inspirational.
As tumultuous as the year was, it left me with many lessons – here are the highlights:
- Be up for anything. Life unfolds, sometimes without plan or resolve, and you have to deal with it.
- It’s not forever. The situation changes.
- Good health counts. It’s stressful out there. Employees don’t show up, customers can be impatient, shipments go missing and feeling poorly exacerbates the pressure.
- We are resilient. Orders still went out, we didn’t lose customers, the Tea Room opened every day, we re-hired, re-grouped and prevailed.
- It could have been worse. We didn’t have a blizzard, hurricane, fire or terrorist attack.
Through it all, I found comfort in Tea. The quiet, purposeful act of making and drinking Tea slows the pace, it forces me to focus on the moment, it provides a pause. Tea relaxes and uplifts all in one. It is the cup that cheers and the cup that calms. The endless variety of Tea suits my specific mood and requirement. My morning Assam wakes me up, Darjeeling helps me to close the day, a cup of Green provides me energy and Oolong allows me contemplation.
As 2017 begins, I intend to start the year fresh. I’m going to be making resolutions and invite you to make them with me. Research indicates that the following are the most popular resolutions in any year:
It's also true that most Resolutions are abandoned by the 3rd week of January. I’m going to avoid these pitfalls by following some key rules. So here I go with my 2017 resolutions:
- Practice mindfulness throughout the day. Focus on the task at hand, listen actively to words spoken. Be Here Now.
- Ensure Health is a priority. Eat and drink healthfully. Exercise. Conquer the difficult.
- Read more Books. Each year I list the books I’ve read and I didn’t do so well in 2016. Books exclude newspapers, magazines and trade publications.
- Just do it already. Eat that Frog - one of the best books I've ever read on Procrastination. If you have a list of things to do and eating a frog is part of it, start with Eating the Frog. Do the hardest thing first.
- Focus on what’s Important. Live the principles of First Things First. Get beyond the Urgent and get rid of the Unimportant.
- Celebrate the Small Things. And the Victories.
- Share - Educate, Enrich, Encourage. Be compassionate. Kindness matters.
- Breathe. Have some Tea. Let it go.
So join me and get your own Resolutions started - Just follow these Guidelines below:
If you’ve already thought about your Resolutions and written them down, you’ve made a great beginning. Now we invite you to take the Tea Resolution Challenge! Select one of your Resolutions and tell us how Tea can be a part of it. If you’re already a Tea drinker, you know the joy it brings. If you’re new to Tea, discover how it can enrich you. We’re asking you to write down one Resolution and tell us how Tea can help you to reach it. Just fill in the form and indicate which Tea you've selected to be part of your plan, and we'll give you 10% off your next order. Further, if you write a Review of that Tea, we will award you 50 Reward Points. And if you've had fun doing this, invite your friends and family to play along. So go ahead - make those Resolutions - I did!
