As 2013 came to an end I reflected on the things that I had done and failed to do in the past year. As I meditated on what I would like to accomplish in 2014 I thought about the things that have always held me back. As I thought about these things I realized that many people make New Year's resolutions every year in December. However, most people fail to keep those resolutions year after year. So, how do we change that? As I meditated on these things I was inspired to write this New Year's blog.
It seems that almost everyone has something that holds them back from their true potential and from sticking to resolutions. For me it is the mental and emotional health issues that I have struggled with for most of my life. I often feel that I am alone in my struggles. But, in reality there are many many other people who have similar struggles. In studying psychology it seems logical to conclude that most people who struggle to keep resolutions they have made also suffer from low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, or other mental or emotional health issues. So, how does one rise above these issues and keep the resolutions that he/she makes? How are we to function normally in our day-to-day lives?
As I thought on these things I turned the Holy Bible for answers, as I have done many times since my youth. At one time I always turned to the holy scriptures in times of distress or any time I had a question about life. But, over the past few years I sadly got away from looking to the Bible for answers. I had a nightmare one December night in 2011 that turned my world upside down for a while. For the first time in my life I experienced hatred for another person. At the same time I began questioning whether I was a trustworthy person or not. I spent months dwelling on that nightmare, and questioning the validity of it. Throughout the first three months of 2012 the nightmare is all I could think about. I had been struggling to stay focused on my studies since starting community college in August 2009. After getting through the worst term of my collegiate experience in the spring term of 2012 I ended up taking a year off. I saw a therapist for about a year beginning in April 2012. Since that time I have been working through my emotional issues and recovering from a major depressive episode and a time of spiritual crisis. I just recently turned to the Bible again for the answers to life's toughest questions.
So, how does one rise above all of his/her emotional baggage and find the inspiration to keep resolutions and endure this life? As I pondered on this it occurred to me that one must first let go of the past. The apostle Paul wrote about this in his letter to the church at Philippi: Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before, I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. -Phil. 3:13-14. Notice that Paul speaks first of forgetting those things which are behind him, and then of pressing toward the future.
For me forgetting the things that are behind me can sometimes be the biggest challenge of all. Two years ago I had flashbacks of events from my childhood on daily basis. Sometimes these flashbacks would occur several times in a single day. This made forgetting seem impossible. However, with therapy and a spiritual journey that has taken the better part of the last two years, I have mentally traveled through my childhood and am finally arriving back in the present day. Over the last two years I experienced hatred, worked through my negative thoughts and emotions, and found the grace to truly forgive and let go of my dark past.
The journey has not been easy, and it never is. Yours will not be easy either. But, when you are truly sick of living in past and ready to move on and press toward your future, you'll take that journey. While on your journey you will find the grace and the strength to let go of things that have left scars on your soul. Once you let it go, you'll find that living in the present and pressing toward your future goals isn't as hard as you thought. Keeping resolutions will seem much easier. In this new year I hope you will keep your heart, mind, and soul focused on the eternal things and keep your life and goals centered around God's will. If you do this you will find that all things are possible.
