The calendar has renewed itself once more: we have twelve months ahead of us that will belong to one measured unit of time, another year in our lives. We're going to see winter, spring, summer, fall, and winter once more in the next year, and we're going to experience pain and joy and love and heartbreak and exciting times and boredom. We're going to be happy and we'll be sad; we'll go through grief and joy, sickness and health.
But all these things happen every year. Year after year, our lives follow a course that in many ways we have no control over, no way to change. But because they are our lives, though, we do have opportunities to make sure that other things also happen, things over which we have a bit of control.
There are tons of things that I'd love to see happen in our next year. No more wars, no more poverty, no more Covid, no more violence against the helpless--etc., etc., etc. But it's important that I realize that these things are beyond the control of individuals, and if I want to focus on things that I may have a bit of control over, then I may find a bit of success in this year.
I also need to keep in mind that I need to focus on me when I think about what I want to see happen in this new year. As soon as I start focusing on what I want other people to do, I'm trying to exert control over their lives--and I simply don't have any control at all over the lives of other human beings. I'm setting myself up for tons of disappointment if my desire is to see change in others.
On the other hand, if I choose to do a certain sort of work to accomplish a goal with others, then I may want to hope for change in others. Perhaps I hope to see more people wear masks in public places, and I start to volunteer for an organization that's trying to educate people on the importance of masks during the epidemic. Then it would make complete sense for me to want to see change in others, wouldn't it? As a teacher, I may want to see my students improve their writing--and in that case, it's my responsibility to try to bring about change in others.
It's also good to keep in mind that there's a difference between hoping for something and expecting something. I can hope for more people to wear masks, but if I don't do anything to try to bring that to pass, then I shouldn't be disappointed if it doesn't happen. And that's okay--I can still hope. I can hope that the politicians in Washington do what's right, and I can hope that the people who work in our hospitals can get a bit of relief from the pandemic. According to some schools of thought, the mere act of hoping is sending positive energy out into the world that may, indeed, contribute to the outcomes we hope for. And hoping for positive outcomes is a way of sharing our positivity instead of being dragged down into the negativity that so many others show so often.
The trick is to detach ourselves from the need for the results that we desire, and allowing for the results that actually happen without letting them affect our spirit or our peace of mind.
All that said, here are some of the things that I hope for this year:
I hope that more people become willing to wear masks and practice social distancing, so that we may see the number of deaths actually decrease rather than grow, so that those who work in the medical field may get a bit of a break from the horrible situations in which they find themselves now. And I hope that the vaccines work well and help us to slow the spread of the virus and keep more people from dying in such an awful way, before their time.
I hope that we have some clear logic and reason and compassion coming from Washington this year, and that more of our politicians become concerned about the people they represent rather than their own careers.
I hope that we see much more rain in areas that are dealing with drought conditions all over the world.
I hope that we see the end to the splitting up of families by our immigration services, and that the world over we see an end to the refugee camps that keep people from getting on with their lives for so long.
I hope that the businesses and services that have been affected so strongly by the measures put in place because of the pandemic are able to recover well and move into the future in very positive ways.
I hope that more people decide to spread love and compassion rather than anger, fear, and divisiveness.
I hope that in my life, I'm able to continue to grow and to learn, and that I'm able to share that growth and learning with others, passing it on as much as I can.
I hope that I do all that I can to stay healthy and to stay in good shape in order to stay that way. The better I take care of my body, the less I'll be affected by many of the minor medical issues that are avoidable.
I hope that more people realize the harm that they do to others in their lives, and do all they can to stop doing so, whether that be spousal abuse, child abuse, or the lack of consideration for their neighbors or co-workers.
I hope that we all have plenty of good times, especially when we're able to get together safely in groups once more, and enjoy each other's company.
I hope that we don't lose the many important lessons that this pandemic has taught us--let's not just go back immediately to the "norm," especially if there are parts of that norm that are negative or harmful.
And I hope that you have a beautiful year in spite of the many challenges that we face. Let's face those challenges and develop our courage and optimism in the face of a huge obstacle, so that they may stay strong always.
