The New Year approaches and it's time to reflect upon the past and plan for the future. For many of us, it's like a breath of spring-time air, filled with hopes and promises. We plan to succeed where we've failed and do the right instead of the wrong. We set goals and do our best to achieve them. The old year will soon be gone with its problems and trials. The new year stretches before us and we anticipate it. It's like being granted another chance to live.
It is that time of year again when people all over the world are taking a moment to reflect on choices of the past and looking to some kind of future, a whole new year. Maybe New Year’s Resolutions are a good thing because people seem to be thinking in a forward mode and are looking for some kind of future. At this time of year it is exciting to look with anticipation towards the New Year.
So we look at our successes and want to make them continue.
And we look at our failures or things we are still working on makes us either want to leave them behind or work harder to achieve them.
It is also a good time to reflect on our lives to see if we are truly happy and where we want to be in life.
The rest of the year we seem so busy with the details of living life that we forget to take stock in ourselves. Start by giving yourself a pat on the back for your successes.
As we face another New Year, I feel it should be a time for reflection and a time for resolution. Do I keep today's performance the same as yesterdays or sharpen it and make it better?
Are the same mistakes being made this year that were made last year, or have I learned something from my experiences?
Will I ignore my families or fight to keep them united? Will I become careless regarding my friendships or work hard to retain them for an opportunity to draw closer to those I love?
Will I discover negative emotions which must be tossed into the trash can? Do wrong thoughts abound which must be banned, at once?
Do tempers flare within a moment, leaving devastation in its wake? Does my behavior hurt those around me? Does uncaring attitudes offend friends and family members? Do I hold onto emotional ties which cripple people’s hearts?
Every year at the start of the New Year, I take a moment to reflect on the past. Each year I ask myself a few questions. Do I have any regrets? Would I change anything? And how can I make things different for the New Year? My answers have always been the same. There are no regrets, there is nothing I would change, and the next year will be no different.
Until it was when a black hole decided to appear and suck everything in. Yes, a failed relationship, a long one. It will be something that would very much affect my future paths. This New Year will make me reflect on relationships. I will go forth in understanding whether future relationships are helping or hindering my goals. Some people just simply drag me down. I may not need to abandon those relationships, but just to be cautious about how they affect me.
So do I have any regrets now? There are many regrets starting with not being true to myself and others. Would I change anything? Change is hard and changing the past is impossible but I can learn from it and not make excuses for it. Making things different takes honesty, perseverance and strength.
Looking at relationships also helps me to consider the lifes I have touched in the last year. If I have touched someone in a negative way, maybe I can change that in the coming year. If I have touched someone in a positive way, I may have the opportunity to build on that. I will also reflect on who has touched my life this last year. If that someone has touched me in a positive way, I may consider spending more time with that person. Adversely, if someone has touched me negatively, sorry to say you meant nothing to me.
The New Year is also a time for cleaning, a time for reflection. I have many past mistakes to reflect on and determine not to repeat them again. Several compartments of my heart needs to be pulled apart to examine the contents, looking for things that are useless lurking in corners and cling to only those that are good.
While it is difficult to look at my failures and short-comings, it is important to always be striving to improve myself. I do not expect myself to perform miracles. People will see the evidence in my actions and in my words, as a result, constantly on a continual basis will I be examining myself, trying to "live in the moment" and gain a better sense of myself. I know life is a gift and much too short to waste, it's imperative to attain the skill of self-motivation. There are instances where I won't have the support of family or friends. Life is a series of experiences from which I am continually learning from.
With 2010 coming to an end, a new year of possibilities are approaching. I leave behind bad experiences and heartache moments to add to my collection book of memories. A world of wonder awaits me with open arms and it is time to reflect back on lessons learned and knowledge gained.
With a new year, a fresh start follows. I will put effort into my resolutions this time around.
There's no quick fix for anything so I will make a point to set realistic goals. Hard work does pay off in the end and I will gain so much insight throughout my journey.
I will need to forget about "what ifs" and "I can't" and take them out of my vocabulary and to put a positive spin to every single thing I do.
Keep in mind, it's easy to lose faith, give up and forget about what is really important to you.
But time and time again, I tell myself to stop, focus and listen to what surrounds me. Always be proud of who you are and remind yourself that many others aren't as fortunate. There will come a time in which you'll be made aware of how special life is.
I do not have the ability to change my past but I do for my future and live life in the present, but I will live it so that my future is all that I dream of. The New Year is a time of remembrance and a time of hope, a time of forgiveness and a time of change. The New Year is my chance to revive and grow.
As I sit here and reflect on my past year I can't help but to dream about the year ahead of me.
