Goals

The more ahead I am the further behind I get. It seems I take two steps forward and one step back and my goal is never any closer.

 When I was young I thought that by this point in my life things would be different than they are. I’m not sure how they would be different, but they would be. I saw my future self as rich, retired, and traveling the world. I would be popular and defiantly better looking. The trouble with getting older is life gives us a reality check. We look around and discover we aren’t who we thought we would be.  Still if one is honest with ones self things are not that bad. It’s not a matter of not reaching your goals; it’s more a matter of redefining those goals. It is realizing what is really important in your life.            

For me those things are family, friends, and enough money to meet my needs. Riches and fame are always there if can share your life with those you care about. True happiness comes not from money but from sharing your life with others.

If you want to feel good about yourself you need to practice random acts of kindness and make a point of greeting everyone you meet with a smile.                            

Faith In The Future

A new year, a new day, and a chance to start fresh. A time to put the past behind you and look to better things in the year to come. That’s what New Years is all about and it is what each day of our life should be.

An old saying goes “that the does not kill us makes us stronger”. As long as the worst that could happen isn’t dying, we will survive and be better for the lesson learned. The secret to survival is having faith that things will improve and our needs will be met.  Fifty seven years of age may not guarantee wisdom, but it does amount to experience. Experience that equals the knowledge that every time life seems bleakest things will somehow improve. With the help of family and friends and by the grace of God we can overcome any obstacle.

Belief is what truly makes life possible. Wither we believe in a God or not, we need something to believe in. Without a belief system we have nothing to give us faith in the future and without that how can we find meaning in life. That is why religion has been a major part of every culture throughout history.

My wife is reading this over my shoulder and just informed me I am becoming far too profound in my ramblings so I believe I will stop. 

Happy New Year

This year I resolve to be. It’s a ritual repeated every December 31^st. We resolve to make a change in our life. Be it losing weight, stopping smoking, or being kinder to our little brother we pledge to change and never do.

In our homes, in bars, and at parties around the world we count down the last ten seconds till midnight. We drink a toast to the New Year, hug and kiss our loved ones, and greet the New Year by promising to change.

 No matter how we word it a resolution is all about changing a negative to a positive. We will lose weight because we are overweight or we will be kinder to our fellowman because most of the time we’ve been a real jerk. It’s all about trying to become a better person as if making ourselves better will somehow make our world better in the coming year. We promise to change and in so doing hope to change our future. The new year in and the old year out, a fresh start, out with the bad and in with the good. It’s our chance to turn our back on the past and start over.

Yet not keeping our resolutions has become a standing joke in comedy routines and comic strips. It is a true shortcoming and something that I intend to do something about. This year I will make no promise to change, after all you can’t break it if you never make it.

May you all have a truly happy New Year.