Experiencing the new

…5,4,3,2,1, Happy New Year!!!!”

That’s the way some people like to begin the new year; watching the minutes right down to the final seconds of the old, and then a sigh of relief and jubilee – we made it into the New Year! I was dancing around in church at the time like many others do. However you chose to enter this year, I hope you had a wonderful transition.  Now we are here, with our goals and resolutions, we have to get busy and make something of the time we have. I know someone who started the year 2020 with such excitement and anticipation of a new decade, when one week into the year, a loved one woke up in the morning and had a stroke – just like that.  It definitely knocked out a lot of the excitement, and there was almost a sense of dread of what this new year would hold if it was starting off like this; and then Covid really happened a few weeks later. Now gimme-a-minute, I’m not an angel of doom.  I just thought that even though there are a lot of unknowns, it can’t hurt to be prepared and make life happen, instead of just waiting for it to happen… I’d just like to give us a little nudge on our outlook for this New Year.

Be prepared for the Good times and take some time to celebrate the wins: Sometimes even good things take us by surprise, and we don’t know how to act or react when it happens. Maybe you’ll finally pass that exam you’ve taken a dozen times e.g. driving test, or you finally pay of that loan, or you’re celebrating a landmark birthday this year… Please, take the time to enjoy the win and give thanks to the Almighty before it becomes just one of those things.  A friend of mine had been longing for a car for almost two years. She found a way to put something aside every month and she finally got her car; But a couple of weeks later, she was looking upset and complaining about something else that she needed.  I tried to get her to enjoy her car first, but it seemed like I was being backward as she had moved on.  Being thankful is a good thing. My friend had a car, but she was still thinking like a person without a car.  She still expected people with cars to run around for her, while she stayed at home, saving her fuel.  Maybe the car was not her real need.  All I’m saying is in this New year, prepare for your victories and be thankful when you get there.

Be prepared for the not so good times:

I was talking to my little boy the other day and I got distracted mid-sentence and said something off point.  He was quick to point out that I was wrong, so I said “Sorry dear I made a mistake.” And he replied “It’s okay Mummy. My teacher says that mistakes help you get better.”  Wow! 

Because we still live on planet earth, there will also be some challenging times in this New Year.  Whether the challenge comes via work, or health, or relationships or in our finances, we will do ourselves a real good deed by not letting the issue break us.  I understand that sometimes these things can hit real hard and cause some real damage to the things around us, but we can’t let that be the end for us.  I remember swearing off men for one year after my first real breakup.  A friend thought I was going to seclude myself from life and hate everything that smelt like it had the Y-chromosome, but I didn’t do that.  I focused on building friendships within that year. I took a few weeks to analyse the relationship, looking closely at how I had contributed to the breakup (very tiny contribution though); then I tried to get better at things I hadn’t been so good at.  For example, my ex had complained that I didn’t appreciate him and the effort he put into the relationship. I thought I was doing great, but because he complained about this, I started to take note of how I show appreciation and if my intended recipient felt appreciated.  I think I’ve gotten better, but I’m sure there is still room for improvement.

I don’t know what you need to do in order to build resilience for the tough times that may come this year, but just remember that mistakes help you get better, so don’t give up.

Be prepared for the seasons in-between:  Be careful not to join the nay-sayers, or those who curse all our political leaders – cos that could be you someday, lol.  Seriously though, if you do not keep busy in your quiet season, you may find yourself in some weird situations. The season of a Win unfortunately doesn’t last forever, but thankfully neither does the season of not winning! Man tends to move on to the next conquest.  Even when your premiership team wins the title, the win goes into the record books and there is celebration for a while, but a few weeks later, and its on to the next title.   They say an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, so keep occupied. Visit a friend, read a series, learn a new skill, take that online course you’ve been putting off, do something that adds value to you, and keep your eyes on the goal.

As we rollercoaster through the highs and plains of 2022, enjoy being alive! Be prepared to Live fully, Love dearly and give thanks always.

Happy New Year to you!!!

God’s Little Princess

Featured image – Courtesy from Pixabay