Happy New Yeah! A very warm welcome to a new decade, may this be filled with joy, love and prosperity.
2020 an unimaginable date, which not only felt light years away as a child, but now that it is here does not seem real. There should be flying cars, people living on the moon and so much more by now. Whilst we have made blistering progress where technology is concerned, we seem almost to be going backwards as a civilisation. There appears to be more division, deprivation and discontent now than ever before.
At the end of December there were a couple of interesting experiences that highlighted how sad the times are we live in. The first was when parking my car on Waterloo Street in Newcastle. I was dressed casually as I was taking baby Zara to the Centre for Life Play Area and got out of the car and put on a back pack. Obvious shock horror, an Asian with a beard putting on a back pack!
Opposite the on-street parking is a Court Office with big windows looking out and I could see one of the workers staring at me, getting concerned as I then started to strap a baby carrier to me too. The distressed look was apparent to the point where she was picking up the phone to call someone whilst sharing this concern with a colleague who equally looked shocked. I dont know if I was more relieved or them, when I pulled baby Zara out of the baby seat in the back and put her in the baby carrier. This episode got me thinking about how prejudicial our society has become.
The second incident was when I was attending a trustee meeting at the Shipley Art Gallery in Gateshead. I always find the parking around that area a challenge, so I drove into a car park, that didnt say private to turn the car around. When I drove in, I noticed a security guard but then the door from the building flew open and a 15-16 year old Jewish boy stood at the door with such venom and aggression and was ready to pounce on me should I have got out of the car. This really saddened me.
The point of sharing these two examples of very minor incidents is that the inherent prejudices that now appear to further divide us, clearly demonstrate that we are going backwards as a community. Individuals that are clearly disturbed and are trying to terrorise our communities are one in a million, thank God. What we need to do is provide a mechanism of understanding and enable a society that appreciates one another.
As you kick off this wonderful New Year, start with a resolution of developing an attitude of gratitude, simply thanking and being grateful for those around us. Write down each day something that you are grateful for, and you will be surprised at the positive impact this has on you and those around you.
Remember the three Ds in any resolution you make Desire, Direction and Discipline have a goal, develop a plan, and most importantly stick to it, you will undoubtedly reap positive results. (If you get stuck please check out www. ammarmirza.co.uk for some inspiration, advice and guidance, where I will be posting a whole host of useful information every week to access for free.)
Wishing you all the very best.
Ammar Mirza CBE is the founder and chairman of Asian Business Connexions, Board member of North East LEP and holds various other positions across the private, public and third sectors.
