Happy New Year

As we face the new year as an Everyday Joe, we tend to look back at what we coulda, shoulda, woulda done over the past twelve months. We look at all of the things that we didn't accomplish, the places we didn't go, the people we hurt whether it was intentional or not. We evaluate our social standing against those in our sphere of influence and gauge our previous year's performance as the increase of social standing from the previous year. In any event, if we're not trying to keep up with the proverbial Jones', then we're just trying to keep from falling behind.

I have been as guilty as the next guy of looking at all of the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, the things that weren't done, the money I didn't save, the people I've hurt, etc... However, I have challenged myself in 2010 to look forward and not back. The Bible says (and I paraphrase), to "forget the things that are behind and press forward toward the prize of the high calling". I'm also told not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough worry / problems of its own (another paraphrase).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we shouldn't learn from our past mistakes AND achievements, I'm simply saying not to dwell on them. I always say that a wise man learns from his mistakes but a wiser man learns from the mistakes of others. I've made many in my lifetime and seen many more but I choose to learn from them all. While the change in me has been slow and at times all but non-existent, I am not the same person I once was.

Change takes time. Change is a choice too. It doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes, it takes years. If you don't beleive me, look at the Israelites who wandered for 40 years because they couldn't learn from their mistakes. You can always guarantee that it always happens slower than we would like.

In my opinion, 2010 is going to be the best year yet because I am starting the year farther ahead than I have ever started any other year. I am closer to who I am supposed to be than I'ver ever been, I know more than I've ever known, and God is still with me. I choose to believe that change will occur in 2010.

I pray that as 2010 kicks off today, you will also review the previous year and learn from it. Don't dwell in it. Seize the day and look forward with hope to what will happen in the next 365 days.

Venturing into 2010...