New Year gives us new opportunities for personal growth

William Arthur Ward hailed in the New Year with this optimistic outlook:

“Another fresh New Year is here, another year to live.

To banish worry, doubt, and fear, to love and laugh and give.

This bright New Year is given me to live each day with zest,

To daily grow and try to be my highest and my best.

I have the opportunity again to right some wrongs,

To pray for peace, to plant a tree, and sing more joyful songs.”

Bill Vaughn tells us, “An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the year leaves.”

Every year we have a new opportunity to focus on where we want to be at the end of the year. However, it won’t just happen. With the grace of God we can make it happen. We need to look deep within our hearts and envision what our lives would look like at the end of 2009. We can dream of better situations for ourselves and our families financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Again, it won’t just happen by wishing everything would be better. We need more than a “resolution list.” We need to lay out a plan and set goals to achieve our dreams. We have the ability and power to do this. Do we have the will to change?

If our answer is “yes,” then we are ready to begin.

The first step is getting in touch with our dreams. We need to listen quietly to our hearts, to see what dreams live within us. Everyone has dreams. We just need to get in touch with them and not be ashamed of them. These are our dreams, not anyone else’s. If we listen to others, we will only be chasing elusive dreams that are not rooted deep within us.

Take time to be quiet. In our busy world, this is difficult task. Quiet time with no cell phones, no other people, no noise is essential for everyone serious about living a happy, fulfilled life.

When you are quiet, think about those things that really get your heart beating. What would you love to do? What would you love to accomplish? What would you try if you were guaranteed to succeed? Write down all of your dreams as you have them. No dream is too outlandish or foolish.

Now, rank those dreams. Which are most important? Which are most feasible? Which would you love to do the most? Put them in the order in which you will actually try to attain them. If these are one-year goals, you might want to limit them to three or four. Remember, “Rome was not built in a day,” or even a year.

Where do we want to be with these dreams at the end of 2009?

Maybe they will not be completely finished but we can make some progress. Our goals must be practical, concrete, with direction and purpose – something that will fulfill your dream. For example, a person’s goal might be: “I want to be able to play the flute.” That’s achievable.

The next step is to get an action plan of how to realize our goals. In this example, a person would have to buy or rent a flute, find an instructor to teach them the basic elements of the instruments, set aside time for practice. A person needs a concrete plan or else the dream will never happen. We will only look back on our lives with regrets.

Jesus told us to enter through the narrow gate. That was another way of saying, “Be focused. Know where you are going.”

Have a great focused New Year!