Perpetual Ruminations

Welcome 2020

A new year is upon us. Why so many expect the new year to bring change is beyond me, but it's a nice thought.

Sure, a new year brings new possibilities, but so does a new month, week, or even day, I say day; I like that one best simply because it matches with the Bible. We are given each day and told to live for that day, not in the past, not in the future, but with the day the Lord gave us.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problems wit anyone doing new year resolutions or planning on making positive changes with the start of the new year. Not at all, I'm just saying we don't have to wait a whole damn year to make needed changes. Also, I feel, or maybe I should say think, new year resolutions tend to put too much pressure on a person if they fall short. With days, we mess up one day but can start afresh the next, but with a year...

For example, I could have made a new year resolution to lose weight; I know I need to drop off quite a few pounds. But, my wife cooked a very nice dinner to bring in the new year complete with a batch of her scrumpdilyicious sugar cookies and I, being in a festive mood, engaged in feasting and enjoying. It didn't bother me, even though I know I'm going to be working at losing a lot of weight this year. It was one day to enjoy the great foods and then right back at it today. In the past, however, I would have made my resolution and bypassed much of the yummy foods and sweets, only to feel deprived and eventually fail. Failing the diet is bad enough, but I would also look at the failed resolution and get a double whammy.

One day at a time, that's the key to succeeding at many things in life. Don't look back at past failures; hopefully you already learned from them. Don't look forward to some future day, there's no way of knowing what will be happening then, or if that day will even come. No, we have today to work with and if we make it, great; it's always easier to hold to change for just one day. But, if we don't, it's only a day set-back, so don't fret; when you wake up, you get another day.