My favorite week of each year is the last week of December. Between the two towers of Christmas and the New Year the fabric of life seems to hang more casually…schedules are a bit more open and folks are enjoying some margin in their otherwise crowded, overbooked lives.
For myself, it is always a week of reflection. One of the beliefs that I haven’t yet outgrown or abandoned is the notion that, with the right set of principles and some discipline, one can change the course of life for the better. Despite failures, I also have some proof of this; when I finally managed to overcome my addiction to the smoking of cigarettes some 19 years ago, it was a New Year’s resolution that kept me on track. So, I think I have reason for optimism when at each year’s end I attempt to look both backward and ahead and ask myself the questions that I think I need asking.
-Why am I here? And where am I pointed…on what trajectory? To what end?
-What worked? What should I retain?
-What didn’t work? What can I discard?
-What might be the wisest single change I could make, all things considered?
-What would my family and friends like to see me change? (I’ll ask).
As a person of faith, I can’t exclude God’s influence, and ask myself what He has been showing me or trying to tell me through circumstances and all the ways He speaks. In that regard, I can say that the journal work I try to do throughout the year has been a good investment. It’s revealed larger movements (or stagnations) in life that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.
Another lesson this year? I don’t hold outcomes entirely in my hands, and if I did, we’d all be in trouble. Better to stay patient and steady on my end and allow room for all the possibilities I can’t foresee.
So, I’ll be engaging in some healthy soul-searching in the next 24. May I wish you clarity in your search and all the best.
Happy New Year!
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