Sunday 1 January 2012

New beginnings - 2012

Whenever i open my facebook account these last few days, all i read is "happy new year", comments about new year resolutions, promises to be in touch more in 2012, and all the other cliche things that people tend to write. For a long time i have been wondering what the big buzz about new years is and why people

At the core, i am convinced, is the desire for that second chance, a new start, trying again with a fresh page, opening a new chapter and closing an old one. We are humans - we make mistakes, so getting a new chance to start over is precious and always welcome. Baha'u'llah, in His 'Hidden Words' says: "bring thyself to account each day [...]", a passage that has accompanied me for a big part of my life. While reflecting on your actions and thoughts once a day may put a small strain on you momentarily, it does relieve you of the big stress that others feel annually. You no longer have that overwhelming pressure of having to make drastic changes in your life once a year, but rather you are allowed to engage in an organic process, in which at any given moment you can pause, reflect and adapt as you go. By no means is this to be understood as an anarchist viewpoint - every person should have a high and lofty vision of where they want to go, who they want to be, and work towards that objective. Enabling ourselves to do that in small and gradual steps liberates us from thinking we have to achieve something grand within the span of a single year and failing to do means having failed as a person. Life can be easier than that!

So to anyone who values presents for new years here is mine to you for 2012: bring thyself to account each day, and learn to grow in small steps! The fresh start we all seek can occur at any point in time, not just once a year.

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