Let's Start the New Year Right

Okay, I know I've copied the title of my entry from the title song of Holiday Inn, but I couldn't help myself; me being the black and white Bing Crosby/Fred Aistaire warm and fuzzy best holiday movie of all time freak, but hey watch that movie and tell me you don't feel the same way. It's true though, why don't we start the New Year right? We all make crazy resolutions: some want to lose weight, some want to quit smoking or get rid of their coffee addiction. It seems that everyone is focused on their bad habits and how to get rid of them....some will keep their resolutions and keep off those five pounds or become smoke free...sadly and I am one of them, never keep their new years resolutions. I don't think my addictions are that bad, if you can call them addictions: I've cut back on the coffee due to some renal (kidney) problems I had during thanksgiving and during finals week and if studying could actually kill you, then I would have to cut back on that...but the things I start out, never stick...praying every day...not swearing as much...trying to stay positive...those seem to come crashing down around me sooner than I expected. So much for the New Year starting out right...
But what if instead of focusing on our bad habits, we try to live each day as it comes? Maybe we don't need that cigarrette every day or at the least every hour on the hour, maybe we don't always have to have dessert with our meal, and yes maybe we can even pull our face out of that book for an hour or two, just to be...well...human I guess...And that's what we are: HUMAN. Alot of the Saints were too, so I feel like we are in good company here. No matter what our flaws, no matter how many bad habits we have, it doesn't ultimately define who we are. Hate the sin and love the sinner...
A good friend of mine said that for the New Years we should listen to what we are called to be, and when we focus on that (which is essentially what God has planned for us) than what we are asked to do is easy, and even though what unknown hardships may come, we can keep the peace in our hearts of what we are called to do, and get through the messes, the upsets, and what else life may throw at us. It eventually will all work out, but perhaps in the way we didn't plan it.
Starting out the New Year right, for me at least is not going to promise to write in my blog every day (even though I thought about it), becasue I know that wouldn't come to be about, as far as the other things I thought to resolute, I threw them out the window, well I didn't actually throw them out the window, littering fines, don't ya know....I figured that each day as it comes is going to be different, and some may be more difficult than others, but eventuall the sun will set, I will shut my eyes, and fall asleep into the next morning...new day, new perspective, but keeping the peace in my heart and my soul...
When we finally realize what we are called to do...I can't even describe the feeling...it pushes everything else to the side, and we see what truly matters...and it's not yourself and it's not what the world deems correct, nor is the petty "drama" that can overwhelm us....9 chances out of 10 it is someone else or something else that we can hardly wrap our souls around, and we completley become enveloped in something surreal, that we have a hard time believing it is real...it's exciting and it's scarry as hell...
I wish everyone the happiest of New Years and please stay healthy, there's alot of sickness out there...I hope you find the peace you are or may not even know that you are searching for : )