January The First is symbolically very special, but in reality it is just another day, another short period in our lives and another turn of The Wheel of Life. Often we mark the day by making resolutions, promises to ourselves, to stop doing something we feel we shouldn’t be doing, or to start doing something we feel that we should.
Whatever the subject of our resolutions, in truth, many of us will fall by the wayside before February arrives. So what is the point in making the effort in the first place? Well setting ourselves challenges is a great way to improve our self-awareness and if we can win in our quest, it is a great source of self-satisfaction and confidence.
There is not trick to winning. There is no magical process to help us succeed, but if we can simply learn from our past mistakes, make the very most of every second in the present, and make the causes to enable us to see the desired effects in the future, we will certainly succeed more often.
If you have made a New Year’s resolution, whatever it may be, I wish you strength in your resolve, good fortune in remaining focussed, and joy when you succeed.
Happy New Year !!!
The Search For Enlightenment 
Jan 01, 2013 @ 20:44:19
Happy new year to you as well.
You seemed to have had a really bad 2012. Some years are like that unfortunately. One thing I do know is that life swings from good to bad and who knows 2013 may well turn out to be one of the better years. I’ve learnt things about myself this year I wouldn’t have thought possible. I for one feel optimistic having experienced 2012 and I haven’t felt like that for a while now. So fingers crossed.
Maybe this will be the year where I will seek more insightful experiences from Buddhism. It’s been a slow but very interesting journey so far and from the wisdom I’ve seen it has been a great help.
Kind regards
Jan 02, 2013 @ 12:58:27
Thank you for the good wishes.
On one level you could say that I had a bad year, my daughter had cancer, my GFs father died and then we split up, not good I agree. But when you look at it from another angle, my daughter is now well on the way to a full recovery, Bumble’s dad had been suffering for ten years, following his motorcycle accident and it was truly a release, and B and I are now free to grow in separate ways. When I compare my life to many millions of people around the world, I feel so fortunate. I can turn on a tap and get clean, fresh drinking water whenever I want. I can go down to the shops and buy a huge variety of fresh and wholesome food. When the rain comes, or it gets dark at night, I can retreat to the comfort of my apartment, safe in the knowledge that I can sleep in comfort and safety. I am a much stronger person for having been able to turn all the poison into medicine, so maybe not such a bad year after all?
From your POV, I hope you find the enlightenment you seek in 2013, and that I may play a small part in the journey.
Namaste ~ Anupadin
Jan 02, 2013 @ 20:05:53
All life and its challenges are relative. People deal these challenges in completely differing ways. Some sink under the the strain and become bumbling wreaks , some hide from life and have extended dovet days and others attempt to as you say to “turn the poison into medicine”. I subscribe to the latter but only after aquiring real knowledge about any given malady.
When I feel I’ve had a bad day I reflect, as you obviously do, on those that are less fortunate than I in the sense of the civil trappings of life e.g. food, safety, health, warmth, a roof over my (and my family’s) head and above all the love of my family. I am blessed beyond the dreams of many in this world.
I can appreciate the horror of finding out that a child has a serious illness only third hand and I’m so lucky that all my children have been always fit and well. I certainly wish your daughter all good haste towards full health.
Regards