Loud Thinker: Positive Thoughts for 2016

It’s 2016. Wow how time flies!

I’ve always enjoyed the holidays and festive period. People are happy and in good humor. It brings people together; It makes people reflect on their lives and push them to make goals for a better progress in their lives. I call it the Christmas spirit and I love the effect is has on people.

For the past 6 years, I have had a difficult time with the December period because of a trauma that happened in 2009. Every December after that usually seems to bring a strange reason why I should feel the blues, which takes me back to the 2009 trauma. This is a difficulty that I deal with all alone and I try my hardest to let it not show. It’s one thing to be down but it’s another to want to bring others down with you. For this reason, I usually up to spend those moments alone.

This New Year’s eve, I decided to stay indoors, because I travelled to a country all alone. I tried not to reflect on the previous years and to simply focus on the year ahead. After the fireworks, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I replied to messages, returned calls and decided to write this piece. I usually don’t set New Year’s resolutions immediately because I try to put a lot of thought into it before writing them down.

But I always try to start the New Year on a positive note and I’d like us all to start it on a positive note. I will share a message a friend sent to me about things to consider for the New Year:

1. ON EARNING: Never depend on single income. Make investment to create a second chance.
2. ON SPENDING: If you buy things you do not need, soon you will have to sell things you need.
3. ON SAVINGS: Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.
4. ON TAKING RISK: Never test the depth of a river with both feet.
5. ON INVESTMENT: Do not put all eggs in one basket.
6. ON EXPECTATIONS: Honesty is a very expensive gift. Do not expect it from cheap people.
7. Past is a waste paper, present is a newspaper, and future is a question paper. Come out of your past, control the present and secure the future.
8. When bad things happen in your life, you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you or you can let it strengthen you.
9. Our eyes are in the front because it is more important to look ahead than to look backwards.
10. We use pencil when we were young, but now we use pens. Do you know why? Because mistakes in childhood can easily be erased, unlike now. Captain F Henry

The first three points are definitely going to be included in my New Year’s resolution. Finance is something that I always include in New Year resolutions. Continuous financial stability is the goal. Other things that I usually include in my New Year resolutions are:

• Spiritual growth: The goal here is to continue to improve my relationship with God and to grow deeper in my faith.
• Taking better care of my health – not necessarily a diet. Thank God I was able to keep this resolution last year and maintained my clean eating habits. This year will just be to continue the healthy eating lifestyle.
• School: This goal usually changes as I progress in my career goal. Just waiting for the day that this goal will not need to exist anymore. I thought it would be this year, but my thinking mind wants to add another degree.
• Relationships: This usually has to do with improving my relationship with family and friends. This goal sometimes include a significant other if it exists.
• The new one this year will be to start a family.

My prayer for everyone is that you started the year great and on a positive note. Take it one day at a time. Every day is a blessing and small blessings are still blessings. Every situation is temporary, you will eventually come out of it. Live to your fullest potential and help a stranger when you can.

If you have not come up with your New Year’s resolutions yet then I will say put some thought into it first. Make the goals reasonable. The fact that they are New Year’s resolutions does not mean it cannot be adjusted throughout the year. It’s not a competition either. Don’t make goals based on other people’s goals. Again, make them reasonable. If possible, break down a goal into 2 or 3 smaller goals in order to attain them.

How did you bring in the New Year? What are your New Year’s resolution?

Once again HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Photo Credit: Dreamstime