This morning, I woke up to I Hope You Dance running through my head. It is the perfect song for the start of a new year.
May you have a blessed 2022!
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New Years’ Eve 2021
“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”
Bill Vaughan Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2021. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/bill_vaughan_105780, accessed December 31, 2021.
Bill Vaughan
We finally made it to the end of 2021! It’s been a roller coaster ride of emotions this past year. Frankly, I may have to flip a coin to decide whether I’ll be an optimist or a pessimist this New Years’ Eve.
Either way, I am glad we have a new year coming and relieved this one is over. it’s too bad we can’t have a total reset and start this year as if the previous two ever happened. But we can look forward to possibilities. The next day, month, and year is always an opportunity to move forward.
We can’t change the past, nor can we know the future. But we can take practical steps today in the present that will improve tomorrow. Keep hoping, believing, and working towards a better future. We made it this far. Happy New Years’ Eve 2021. Let’s make 2022 count!
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War and Peace
“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2021. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/benjamin_franklin_141046, accessed December 30, 2021.
Frequently, our culture encourages us to confront others. If they don’t believe what our group believes, they are heathens that we should deal with. Media and advertisements tell us we’re okay and if there is any problem, it’s because of “those” people.
This philosophy is enticing because it takes the responsibility off of us. We’re off the hook if everyone else is the problem. We don’t have to change and our kids are all right!
However, the problem with this outlook is nothing ever changes. We discover the other group thinks they are in the right as well. So we have a choice between trying to coerce someone else to change or changing ourselves. And who do we have more control over?
And of course, if the other group is the problem, we must confront them. We should tell them that they’re wrong, ridicule them, shame them and if necessary, fight them. When we do this, we join a proud tradition of going to war.
In this quote, Benjamin Franklin reminds us it is only ourselves that we can change. We have plenty of vices to work on. Let’s start where we are and make this next year a better one.
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What Motivates You?
What gets you going each day? Is it the news? Is it a feeling that you have to perform? Maybe you’re motivated because the rent is due. Perhaps it is just money. That can be an issue when you’re asked to volunteer for something! What motivates you?
Some of us may want to make the world a better place. Others are in survival mode and think this world is a lost cause. Some see possibility today. Others fear the new year will just be a repeat of the previous two. After all, we thought 2021 would be better than 2020, right?
How we see the world determines how we act. I have found the following verse to be a better way.
“ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.”
Hebrews 10:24 (NLT) via BibleGateway.com
If we want the world to change, we can begin in our own sphere of influence.
- Check on a neighbor today to see how they’re doing
- Write an encouraging text to a family member or friend
- Smile even if you have to wear a mask
- Find the silver-lining in a situation
- Offer a solution to a problem instead of complaining
What motivates you? We can take responsibility today and end 2021 on a high note. After all, it may help us start 2022 off on the right foot.
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Encourage Each Other
How many of us love to go somewhere where we know we will be torn down? Who loves an atmosphere that drips with discouragement and criticism? None of us, I bet. It is far better to be at a place where we encourage each other!
If you’ve read many of my posts, you know I value encouragement and like to give it. To me, it is the key to motivation. None of us like to be criticized. Yet, we all need to learn how to improve. It can be a fine line between being taught how to improve and being torn down. As a result, we must be careful to do more building up than tearing down.
I like to keep this verse in mind:
“Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) via Biblegateway.com
In the Apostle Paul’s epistles, there were plenty of instances where he had to rebuke and steer a person or church in the right direction. Yet, he also seasoned them with thanksgiving and encouragement. He knew there was always something positive to highlight. We all need to know there is something we are doing right. Otherwise, what’s the point?
So when someone frustrates us, let’s try encouragement. Find at least one thing the person is doing right. Consider how you would feel if all you heard was negative. How can you find something good to highlight along with the factor that needs improvement. A little motivation along with instruction could go a long way!