WE start counting the days for another 365-day journey for 2023. Many have looked back in the past year and weighed their achievements over failures.
For the optimists, they would always conclude that 2022 was a great year worthy to be celebrated. For the pessimists, the past year was just another struggle and hardship that needed to be forgotten.
But how do we start the year right?
Everything starts with how we look at ourselves. No matter how hard the journey is, our behavior towards it matters more. We believe that there are many reasons to celebrate life.
In believing, we find ways. In believing, we find joy.
Happiness is found not in the things that we do, but in how these things positively affect us and others. Genuine joy is bringing joy to ourselves and others.
If there are two important things that we would like to achieve in our life, they would always be joy and peace. We are happy with our relationships with loved ones and friends and we are at peace with ourselves and others.
The rest follows like good health, a more comfortable life, higher pay, promotion in work, and all the necessary situations we can be in.
Relationships are why we are here for. We do not live just for ourselves. We live and work hard for our family. We spend time with our friends. We welcome new acquaintances. We find love in between.
Then we can go back to this famous tagline, “Para kanino ka bumabangon?”
Peace is everything there is. Without it, what is there to live for?
So, if everything starts with how we look at ourselves then let us be gentle with ourselves first. We discover our strengths and weaknesses. We know what we are capable of and we work on it. We know what we are incapable of and we work hard for it.
Accepting all situations with a courageous and joyful heart would spell a big difference in our life. The way we react to situations triggers positive and negative emotions.
Then we go back to this relevant question, “What is it that will make me truly happy?”
The answers would boil down to our love for God, ourselves, and others.
We love God and so we act upon His will. We steward the grace of God.
We love our self so we protect it from any harm and danger. We strengthen our faith, we develop our skills, and we find ways to improve in everything we do.
We love others and so we protect our relationship with them. We do not feign affection, we help and support our family and friends, we work well with colleagues, and we give more.
These things will surely make us happy. If we are happy, nothing can go wrong.
As the line of the song goes, it can’t be wrong when it feels so right.
We have all the reasons to start the year right. So, let’s start right.
