Hope

Why did I have a panic attack at 12:05 am New Year’s Day? Why was the idea of starting a new year, this one in particular, so frightening? What I do know is that fear is irrational so I’ve decided to start there in trying to understand why crying uncontrollably over my pink champagne was my first act of 2011.

I know that my fears have absolutely no basis because faith in God is the foundation of my life. The beginning of a year is always such a hopeful time, however, it’s a big responsibility when you have this brand new, mistake-free year starring you in the face. You can’t help feeling that the New Year will magically be different than the old one, and you hope that you’ll magically be different too. You some how feel that come January 1st you'll stick to a healthy diet, you'll have the energy to get everything done that you need too, you'll be more diligent in yyour work and in pursuing our goals and dreams, and the list goes on and on and on. The reality is December 31st and January 1st are no different than any other two days! Why do we think they are? 

This question brings me back to hope!  The challenge then becomes how do we keep hope going throughout the year … beyond the first week of the year when we all feel invincible? Setting quarterly goals is a good way because every three months you can renew those hopeful feelings you had at the beginning of the year by seeing what you've accomplished so far, and by refocusing on your next set of goals.  Something I’d like to focus on this year is not wasting the precious time that I’m given on this earth with activities that aren’t yielding results or enriching my life in anyway. I’m a firm believer of working hard and playing hard, and I think a part of working hard, while maximizing how you use your time, is working smart. Smart people don’t waste time. I’m reminded of something I heard Denzel Washington say on the Oprah show … “Do what you have to do so that you can do what you want to do.” Sometimes we waste valuable time because we don’t want to tackle the task at hand. However, if you get the things done that you have to, that frees you up to do the fun stuff!

Then there’s the fear of the unknown. There’s so much happening in our world and life is full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows … yet, we journey on trusting that God is with us every step of the way. With this thought, my fears always fade away knowing that God is ordering my steps and that my future is safely in His hands.

A few minutes after my New Year’s day panic attack, I accepted that the fears that caused it were completely irrational and allowed myself to hope … knowing that my faith in God will give substance to everything I hope 2011 will bring!

Keep hope alive!!!