There is no better time for introspection than year’s end, and there is no better introspection than that which improves the quality of our “destinations.” Our inward characters are measured, in large part, by the worthiness of where we’re headed.
Unless we believe that nothing is important, we probably believe that something is more important than anything else — and we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to put that thing first in our lives, to the best of our present understanding.
When our time is gone, it’s gone. So the old-timers used to talk about “improving” the hours that are given to us, meaning that we need to use our time to good advantage, doing something profitable with the resource rather than letting it be wasted.
We may not spend much time consciously thinking about it, but somewhere in our hearts there’s a desire to leave some gift or blessing to our survivors. We want, by the time our lives are over, to have made some contribution to someone else’s life.
Vision doesn’t come from our ancestors or our environment; it comes from our character, which is always a thing of choice. So if we want to improve our character, and thereby improve what we can “see,” we must choose to change our perspective.
If we’re so busy that we have no time to remember, or if we’re so “current” that the past means nothing to us, then we’re in danger of losing the larger perspective that makes life meaningful. We must “remember” that “now” is not all that matters.
We are enriched by wise respect for tradition. The wholesome enjoyment of customs that connect us to bygone days is one of life’s most rewarding experiences. So today, be truly radical. Dare to do something your great-grandparents might have done!
Merriment can almost be defined as the enjoyment of togetherness. It’s the kind of cheerfulness that families, friends, and comrades take pleasure in at this season of the year, especially if they’re not able to see one another often at other times.
The moment for mirth is the present moment. It appears and then disappears, if we don’t have the good sense to enjoy it while we can. Mirth is not a thing to be procrastinated. So don’t wait for next year. Enjoy the next few days!
Life does not revolve around us; we are the ones who were meant to do the revolving! And when we do that rightly, we do it with gratitude for all the others who, with us, make up the constellation of the world’s communities.
