There’s always a mountain of pressure going into the new year, not only for resolutions that are abandoned by mid-January, but for real, true change and direction.
This is not to say such a path isn’t admirable; it certainly is, especially in a world of superficiality, self-serving impulsivity, and surface-level knowledge of how the world works. But finding true change and direction can be agonizing if you try to internalize it all on your own. You can’t cut blood from a stone, but that’s not to say your expectations and desires cannot be met either.
We just caution against turning every day into the entire year itself. Constantly watching each inch forward you walk doesn’t make it seem you’ve moved very far, but paying attention to the intricacies, surprises, and engagements of each day will make you forget about dwelling on an entire year’s worth of progress – or lack thereof – each day of the year.
This isn’t to say that abandoning such a school of thought is easy, but it’s one that must be at least understood if any real change in your life should materialize. And maybe that’s the change and direction you need, a change in thought, attitude, or perspective. With such a commitment, you might realize more changes in your life than expected, however subtle they might be. Again, it’s the little things that make the days come and go, and in the same way, it’s the little things that can make an impact instead of a massive, conspicuous change or development in your life.
So, with that, we here at The Messenger hope that you don’t put such a high price tag on the new year, not that we recommend you be pessimistic, but rather that such fundamental life changes can be started at any time and any results can materialize at any time. In a period of waiting, find joy in the little things. Join a new church, find a trivia night at your local bar, get involved in a chess group at your neighborhood deli, or shoot pool with some friends on a slow weekend. Whatever it is, the little things get us through the year, but they also make us who we are.
From all of us at The Messenger, we wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a truly optimistic, New Year of new beginnings. Just don’t forget to see some trees along the way.
