End of year/New Year blues (II)

“But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion“ Ecclesiastes 9.4

We have been looking at how people react to the end of the year and the New Year. The end of many things, especially the year always comes with critical review and many people are critically unfair judges over their lives so the verdict of the year is usually damning. Many people’s reaction to the end of the year is negative. They find themselves guilty of many errors and therefore label themselves as failures. Their verdict leads to disappointment in themselves.

Many people look back at the year and feel drained. They have over exerted themselves and have little to show for it. Their input does not justify their output. They have ended the year in deficit. They have ended the year in a loss.

The end of the year is usually the deadline for many people. They have had personal deadlines to get certain things done by the end of the year and for many organizations they also have end of the year deadline. At the end of the year there is an appraisal and if not as expected disappointment despair and depression sets in.

The end of the year need not be all gloom and doom. The end is a sign that a beginning is about to start.

“It’s never too late to become who you want to be. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start over.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

We must not let the failures ad disappointment of last year dampened our enthusiasm for the New Year.

“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go. They merely determine where you start.” Nido Qubein

As long as we have life there is hope. Only the dead have no hope in this life.

“But for him who is joined to all the living there is hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion“ Ecclesiastes 9.4

Let us be grateful. It could have been worse than it is. We should learn from our mistakes, make amends and trust God to do better. The New Year is a opportunity for a brand new start.

“The New Year is a painting not yet painted; a path not yet stepped on; a wing not yet taken off! Things haven’t happened as yet! Before the clock strikes twelve, remember that you are blessed with the ability to reshape your life!” Mehmet Murat ildan

There is no need to fear what the new year will bring. All we need do is to trust God.

“But the Lord is the one who is marching before you! He is the one who will be with you! He won’t let you down. He won’t abandon you. So don’t be afraid or scared!” Deuteronomy 31.8

“Don’t remember the prior things; don’t ponder ancient history. Look! I’m doing a new thing; now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it? I’m making a way in the desert, paths in the wilderness.” Isaiah 43.18-19

“It’s easy to get stuck in the past and be held back emotionally by what happened yesterday, but the only way to truly welcome a fresh start is to look forward, not back. Take a deep breath, envision the future that you want, and take that first step.” Jackie Frere ad Corinne Sullivan.

Set your goals, plan the year and take decisive action and see what God will do.

CONCLUDED

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