Hope For A New Year

Dr. Deb 13 Jan 2018

HOPE! There is something hopeful about new things. New babies seem to represent the promise of a bright future. Springtime brings new life from the death and dormancy of autumn and winter. And a new year brings a fresh reminder that we can always escape the trappings, failures, and disappointments of the past and get a lease on life.

Just like forgiveness releases us from the past, so does a new year.

Hope can be defined as a feeling of a desire of excitement about a thing about to happen. It’s also an expectation for great things to happen!

What are your hopes for 2018?

What are the desires of your heart?

What do you want your life to look like?

I figure there are two main ways to view the world.

One is to feel hopeless and a victim of things that are outside your control. I sometimes refer to it as the Doris Day philosophy. Que sera sera; whatever will be will be.

The other is to view yourself as an architect of your destiny, a deep belief in your ability to alter the world and cause things to be. I sometimes refer to this as the Sly Stone philosophy, based on the song, You can make it if you try, made popular by the funk musician in the late 1960s.

While some things are out of our control, it’s good to be reminded there is a great deal we can control! Our destiny is to a large extent in our hands.

Consider the Sly Stone philosophy as you think about the new year.

You can make it if you try! You can accomplish things you never knew possible. And you can be the bright light shining in your circle of influence!

You can’t control everything, but you CAN control how you react!