Today marks the end of another year. It's time to get out your new calendar for 2007. The old calendar is obsolete and ready to be put into the trash. Looking back on last year, we probably all did some great things that are worth remembering. Fond memories are healthy for us. They put a smile on our face and we enjoy reliving moments that we are proud of. On the other hand we probably made some stupid mistakes last year and know plenty of others who have done the same. While it's important to learn from our mistakes, it does us all good to forget about them and not rehash those negative memories over and over. Likewise, this applies to those we know and love. Everyone makes mistakes in life. However bringing them up constantly, serves no good purpose.
Today being the last day of the year, is a great day to forget the ugly past and move on with your life. We start a new year tomorrow and our hopes should be that 2007 will be our best year ever. Since we live our lives through the power of our mind and thoughts, anyone who dwells on the memories of their worse days in their past, can only anticipate a future full of even uglier days. We must realize right now, that we cannot change the past. We have no time machines yet, that can take us back into the past and alter what has already happened. However we do have control over the decisions we make today and can think ahead and plan for a brighter future tomorrow.
In my opinion one of the most important books ever written was "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. The latest edition of this book is filled with footnotes and explanations that were missing from earlier editions. This book can change the way you THINK about your life going forward. It makes you realize how powerful our thoughts are and teaches the importance of filling your mind with POSITIVE thoughts. Dale Carnegie was another believer of this philosophy. The seminars and courses bearing his name have enriched the lives of millions of individuals for decades.
So why is it that so many human beings still argue, fight and even kill each other regularly over what happened last year; 5 years ago; 30 years ago; or even centuries ago? What good can possibly come from this hatred? Wouldn't it be great if there were a way to place our bad memories into a trash receptacle, similar to the one we have on our computer desktops and then delete them from our hard drives forever! Think of all the arguments and fights that could be avoided! Think of all the extra peace and harmony we would be able to enjoy in our lives?
While this delete button does not yet exist for our bad memories, I believe we all can remove these thoughts from our consciousness if we choose to do so. We cannot control what others do, however one of the wonderful characteristics of human beings is we CAN control our own thoughts and actions. We can make a concerted effort to never bring up past issues that we know create ill feelings and start senseless arguments. We can make it a practice to not hold grudges toward others or perform stupid revengeful acts that we always regret. We can forgive others for mistakes they made towards us, if they ask for forgiveness and promise to change their past ways. I believe it's in our best interest to do all the above in order to live our lives in harmony.
When we turn on our TV sets and witness the fighting and destruction that goes on beyond our borders, we sometimes wonder why these activities occur. When we watch the heinous crimes committed by our own citizens on victims that include parents, grandparents, spouses, children or schoolmates it's often hard to imagine what drives someone to perform such criminal acts. You have to wonder if these crimes could have been avoided if these criminals were able to delete their negative thoughts of their past? Can we actually reduce future arguments by not bringing up ugly moments of the past? My answer is YES!
Thus as we turn the page on the New Year tonight, it's in all of our best interests to do our best to let the past go. Make a concerted effort to avoid bringing up stale argument material and replace those thoughts with fond memories of the past and hopeful thoughts of the future. Start this process right in your own home with your immediate family. Make it a point to emphasize and discuss what's good about each family member. Respect everyone and complement them about their strengths and abilities. Thank them for their efforts. Support each family member's goals and personal achievements. This strategy MUST bring more love and harmony into your home.
Once you appreciate the results of this behavior at home the next step is to try and make a difference by duplicating this behavior with your friends and co-workers. Don't remind them of what they did wrong in the past. Steer your conversations toward helping them to do better in the future. Be an ambassador of positive thoughts and actions and I believe you can exponentially enhance your own happiness and well being. You can make a real difference in your own life starting RIGHT NOW. Tomorrow starts a New Year. Make it a new beginning for you. Forget the ugly past.....move on.....and enjoy living in the present as you plan for a wonderful future!