353. New Year, New Perspective

It's difficult to believe, but we are in the new year. But as we all know, new year does not make us new. What makes us new is our new perspective. Out of many things, if we can change the way we see our past, present and future, we are one step closer to becoming truly new.

To see our past differently, we must get rid of "blame". We cannot move on without acknowledging that we are fully responsible for our lives, regardless of what others have done to us. There are many channels through which people become free from their past, but what is common is they all somehow stopped blaming others for what happened in their lives. The best way to get stuck in the past is to stick with the blame-game. That’s why God is not stuck in the past: because he forgives. Or he would still be blaming Adam and Eve for ruining the perfect garden he created.

To see our present differently, we must get rid of "comparison". Comparison sucks all the joy out of our present. Comparison is a thief who steals contentment that is rightfully ours. We don’t have full control over how much we possess, but we do over our level of contentment. Discontentment happens when “we” have decided how much we are supposed to have and become bitter about why “God” hasn’t filled the gap. If we believe God is good, we must believe whatever God has given us at the present is good for us. What enlarges our capacity for God’s blessing is gratitude, not comparison.

To see our future differently, we must get rid of "worries". Worries primarily come from trying to control the outcome, which we cannot control. Worries go away when we focus on the process, not the result. Things become more enjoyable and hopeful when we place more emphasis on what we can control.

The year of 2024 is here. Whether to make it truly our new year, or let it pass as another calendar year, is up to us. Again, we don’t have control over how this year will turn out. But we can change our perspective.