Written By
Rebecca
New Year, New View!
Written By
Rebecca
“New Year, New You!” is a phrase that we hear over and over, usually on a commercial touting the new best workout, diet, self-help plan, parenting technique, leadership seminar…you name it. We look for ways to make each year better than the last and to make sure THIS year will be the best one ever. Now that January is over and we are on to the second month of the year, many of the resolutions that we made and committed to so excitedly have fallen by the wayside, leaving some people feeling disappointed and defeated…only one month into 2016! Some people might make it to June or July…but inevitably, many of the resolutions we made on the first day of the year are hard to keep up with as the days go by and the year unfolds before us.
Setting goals, planning, and thinking about the future are all positive things…but the danger in the “New Year, New You” mindset is that instead of just forward thinking, we can do a lot of forward leaping. By this I am referring to thinking such things as:
I will be happy when…
I will be fulfilled if…
I will be satisfied when…
Life will be so much better as soon as…
Two very important words are missing here: “RIGHT NOW”. When we focus on enjoying our lives “when”, we can leap right over the “RIGHT NOW” and miss out on LIFE. Scripture speaks to this as well: “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow…” (James 4:14) The truth is, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow, next week, or next year (let’s be honest…we aren’t even promised later this afternoon). While forward thinking is good, forward leaping is tragic because we miss the beauty of the here and now. Some people will read this and think, “Beauty? I’m sitting here covered in spit-up with a baby who won’t stop crying”, or “I can’t see much beauty when I am anxiously awaiting test results from the doctor”. The point is, beauty is found in the mess of life. Beauty can be found in connection with other people or even in quiet moments of solitude. Even in the seemingly humdrum moments of life, there is value because it IS. It’s not what might have been or what may be someday, but what is RIGHT NOW. And considering this is the only RIGHT NOW we have, attending to it may be the most helpful plan for us. Instead of “New Year, New You”, let’s say, “New Year, New VIEW”. When you catch yourself leaping over this minute to focus on later, consider changing the view from tomorrow to RIGHT NOW. Look around you. Breathe deeply. Look at the faces of those with whom you are sitting. Maybe even connect with someone. If you are alone, consider where you are and what you are doing at this very moment. Breathe deeply. Look at your arms and hands and think about all of the wonderful things you have done with them. All of the hugs you have given, all of the tears you have wiped away. Breathe deeply. Pay attention. It might be, in changing the view from the future or the past to the here and now, you realize the real gift is this very minute.