On New Year's, we may enjoy checking the Chinese calendar or looking up our horoscope to see what the future holds. Have you noticed that regardless of whether or not we believe in these pop culture New Year's predictions, our life usually does not change? Even though we make our own resolutions - goals we want to achieve, which usually revolve around finance, love, work, health, marriage, children, dreams and needs that we have - there's something missing to make them really happen. The expectation is always progress and improvement in many areas of our lives, but what do we need to do to make things really change?
Here are seven real predictions for the new year and how you can make each of them a reality:
1. Money and profession
We know that money does not buy happiness, but in the world we live in, it pays for basic bills and provides some comfort to us and to those we love. All of us wish for more money. We all want a better job where we can have more benefits and opportunities. So, how can we have more "succe$$" in the coming year?
Prediction: If you were not born in a gold crib or received an inheritance, you will probably get it through hard work. You will be able to improve in that area when you learn to seek excellence in skills such as punctuality, focus and professionalism. Studying and specializing in the area you like and developing your talents perhaps won't make you a millionaire, but will make you accomplished and able to fulfill your needs and some wants. You will not get more money if you complain and find excuses, or blame others because they do not want to get out of your comfort zone.
2. Politics
Are you tired of the corruption or self-serving and contentious ideas going around?
Prediction: The situation will begin to improve when you start being more honest. Regardless of the situation, decide that you will not cheat, take advantage, exploit anyone, plagiarize, lie or steal. You will be an example for your family. When elections come, vote for more honest candidates instead of giving away a vote to those just playing the political game. Our children will be the leaders of tomorrow, show them how to make a better future.
3. Health
Next year I want to be healthier! I want to lose weight and take care of myself!
Prediction: You will reach your ideal weight when you can focus on your goal, work hard every day and be persistent, despite all the other problems of life. You can try any diet that pops up in your news feed, but unless you discover the real reason for your struggles, the pounds will keep coming back. Why do you want to lose weight, strengthen muscles, improve your skin and appearance in general and feel younger? To be healthy? To see your children or grandchildren grow up? To enjoy life? Or, are you doing it because society pressures and discriminates against those outside the "acceptable" weight set by modeling agencies? Stipulate your limits, re-learn to eat and take time to exercise and to develop self-control.
4. Love
Do you want to meet that special someone, live a great love or have a second honeymoon with your spouse? Or, do you want to fix what goes wrong in your marriage, overcome divorce or start your life over better than before?
Prediction: No matter what place of that long road you are, alone or not, your love life will improve when you take care of yourself, your mind and your heart. Do you love the person you are and your own companionship? If you do not love yourself or know your own tastes, boundaries and what you like and if you are not working hard to be a complete person - forgiving and letting go of the little things for the sake of being happy, smiling about life, trying to be better every day - any person that comes into your life will not do for you what you should do for yourself. Remember: Your marriage or even that time alone will only improve when you discover that you are a whole person.
5. Family
Do you want to have more joy with your family, increase happiness with your spouse, end the quarrels, be an example to the children or care more for parents and grandparents?
Prediction: This will happen when you learn the value to set priorities and make sacrifices. Turn off the TV and dedicate your time to playing with the children. Shut down the computer and make the children turn off the videogames. Then, do hands-on projects and serve people together. Visit your elderly friends and relatives and help them with small tasks. Treat your spouse with the same patience that you have with strangers and friends. Learn to communicate better. Start your genealogy. Research your roots. Spend time with your parents writing their biography. Involve them in family gatherings. Once all these happen, you will see miracles and unparalleled love in your family.
6. Quit a vice
Whatever your vice - drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, food, bad language, over spending, pornography, drama, gossip, etc. - stop it now!
Prediction: You will change your life and get rid of an addiction when you assume you cannot do it by yourself, seek help, be true to your core values and set and achieve goals one day at a time. If you fall, you need not lose your heart and give up. Learn to shake it off and start over from where you stopped, forgiving yourself and moving on. Every day you are successful you gain strength for the next day. How come some people can do this and not others? We all have problems in life, not only the addicted. Find more motivation. Motivation is like taking a bath, we need to do it daily to be clean. Remember: One day at a time.
7. Faith
Seek God and find peace, be more optimistic, friendlier and open your heart. To be a better husband, wife, father, mother, son, daughter is a goal that everyone should put on the list.
Prediction: You will be able to fulfill your spiritual needs when you figure out the need to strengthen your faith, learn to be more humble, recognize that you do not need to do it alone and seek divine help. Read scripture and search to know God and His Son Jesus Christ a little more. Establish a personal relationship with them. Ask for forgiveness or forgive someone of any offense, looking for the person and talking with an open heart. Learn to listen. Kneel and pray. If you feel like you cannot pray, remain kneeling until you succeed. The Lord is always there, it is we who turn away from him. Even if you don't believe he is there, make peace in your soul.
Many of these changes do not happen overnight, but take perseverance and patience. The New Year is like a big Monday. When it comes, people are not always excited to work and end up postponing things for Tuesday or Wednesday. When Friday comes we find there is no more time to do it all before the weekend. After all, wearing white clothes, jumping the sea waves, standing on your right foot, three little jumps, carrying pomegranate seeds in our wallet and wishes with grapes will do nothing unless we change our own character, correct our habits and leave aside old things, working hard to conquer new things.
Luiz de Camões, a Portuguese poet, once said, "There will never be a new year if we continue copying the mistakes of old ones."
When we assume, with humility, even flexibility and versatility, that most changes we seek depend on us writing our own story on this blank sheet which is a new year, we find that we have a new day every day of the year.
This year, pledge to change your "what if's" for "when's."
