Just a few more days before the end of the year. This idea…”end of the year”…is of course a man-made construct. In reality, every day is the “end of the year” or, better stated, the start of the new. “The New” is really what every morning is…your first, your start, your beginning.
As a historian, I do value the look backward. There is wisdom in reviewing what has transpired, mostly for the sake of grasping wisdom from prior events. We are awash in our country today with a failure to know, let alone comprehend, the events of the past. So much wisdom resides in the legacy of those past moments.
And yet….
If we spend too much time only looking backwards, we miss the moment of the “now.” Instead of looking backwards, especially looking backwards with regret, we do better to look forward. Look ahead to determine where you want to go. Look ahead to decide what you must do to get there. Determine now what actions you must take in order to achieve your goal….or at least to give yourself a fighting chance.
See, I still might not succeed in my quest. My reach may come up short, but at the very least, I will take actions now to put myself in the very best position possible. In the new Star Wars movie, as news reaches the assembled rebel leaders that the Empire has constructed a planet killing machine, the Death Star, most fall into dismay. Surrender seems to be the only move. Yet, to some assembled, they look forward with hope. They realize that, based on new information just received, there is a slight chance that some weakness of the Death Star can be exploited as long as they can grab the construction plans.
They don’t know if they will succeed. There is no guarantee whatsoever that the effort will pay off. But they are certain that if they do nothing, if they simply sit looking backward in sadness, then failure will come. So, with hope in their hearts, eyes shining brightly as they look forward, they move into action.
You too…do the same. Sure, in these last days of 2016, it is useful to pause, reflect and consider. But then look forward. Determine your next steps. The world is not as gloomy as some suggest, and you can also go forward with eyes shining brightly.