WE welcome yet another new year. It is often said that the beginning of the new year is a time for reflection and embracing new beginnings. So, people often describe the new year as a blank canvas or a new leaf. The year 2024 saw numerous developments and growth across the world. In Guyana, we witnessed firsthand the further development of our country’s landscape and more prosperity for many. Unfortunately, even with all these developments, people still face challenges throughout the year—from financial crises to mental health decline and unemployment, to name a few.

No matter what year it is, there will be problems and challenges, just as there will be prosperity and stability. The key concept to “bounce back” from these challenges is always to be resilient. In 2025, I hope we deepen our positive impact by fostering resilience and reimagining leadership in ways that inspire collective growth.

Resilience is not just the ability to bounce back after hardship; it is a virtue of strength. Resilience allows us to endure hardships, adapt to changes, reflect on our actions, and prosper as we move forward. The act of resilience enables us to maintain hope in times of uncertainty. It allows us to dream again even after we’ve failed, to love again even after grief and loss, to actively seek employment after being fired from our favourite job, and to rewrite an important examination after receiving a failing grade. The most important lesson is to never give up, and even if you’ve given up on a specific pursuit, resilience allows you to get back up on your feet and progress in life.

As we focus on our individual resilience for our challenges, collective resilience can be even more powerful. Moving forward, let us focus on lifting each other up—mentoring young people, checking in on our neighbours, and supporting local initiatives that bring hope and healing to our communities. For the youth of Guyana and beyond, resilience means being part of the solution. It means continuing to push for better education, fair opportunities, and inclusive leadership. It means using our voices to challenge injustice and our energy to build something lasting. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the past few years have taught us the importance of adaptability, and many of us had to learn to be resilient. For many, it was a means of survival.
Resilience isn’t about avoiding failure but learning to rise each time we stumble. Despite the challenges of the past year, here we are, walking into the new year with hope, optimism, and a renewed sense of purpose. If you’re struggling to be optimistic about the new year, I hope you take some advice from this column and adopt a resilient approach to your life pursuits. I believe resilience ought to be practised. It is not an innate personality trait but a lifestyle we adapt to over time. As such, if you’ve never been resilient before, I hope you add it to your New Year’s resolution.

Here’s to a year where resilience leads us to new heights. May 2025 bring strength in every trial, joy in every step, and peace in every corner of our lives.

Happy New Year!