(Continued from part 2)
🗓 While I was reflecting as 2021 came to an end, I initially thought I’d finally quit NY resolutions after 13 yrs (and let the 14th year be my permanent sabbatical 😅).
Not that it’s not worth it. It’s helped me to remain organised and busy only because I spent the time to be busily organised first. People often miss doing things just because they don’t put them on the agenda, especially in today’s digital world with countless distractions jumping around you all the time like mindless monkeys 🐒 🐒 🐒. The resolutions help me to be selective in how I spend time, so yes, (if you’re serious about it) they may serve you very well!
I wanted to quit as I thought perhaps that season in my life is over, for what it’s worth. However, long story short, when you’ve been so consistent in something, people expect you to be. That’s a good thing. A friend asked me about it and now I do have 2022 resolutions to keep 📜, which I’m not going to share here haha.. (but you may read more on NY resolutions here).
Instead, I’ll share some principles to keep to. Something that serves as a framework of mind in how I live this year.
You reap what you sow 👨🌾
Easy to assent to a principle, right?
But difficult to recognise our chance to put it into practice. Say, when trouble comes.
Not a day passes without fresh opportunity to know God, others, or myself more. That’s what I want to remind myself – to not take the easy way out. If I face things I don’t like, it is a chance to learn patience. You reap what you sow, gotta go through the difficulties especially in relationships for it to both grow and show its worth.
And in the end, what I sow in ultimately has to be what is between me and God. That guides my focus even as I spend time and effort with others or in any other areas.
Prioritise quietness 🧭
An advice I get from a friend last year was to take the time to take my mind off things, by doing things I enjoy.
While nothing specific came to mind instantly, I know it’s to do with some quietness. May be I will just write more this year too as a way to relax and wind down.
Quietness to me is to filter out the noise and distractions of every day life so I may remember the highest calling in life is to worship God. And that has everything to do with who I am before God, so it’s important to make it my first priority to preserve a time of quietness before God to acknowledge Him for who He is in my life. Everything else can wait. Anything else that threatens to take it away is not worth it. Do not get lost in deceptive busyness (which I may tend to, and risk getting burnt out).
In principle, in all you do, you should pursue God. Do it wholeheartedly, singlemindedly for Him. That’s the only fuel that will last you through the hurt, disappointment, difficulties, and exhaustion from circumstances and (especially) people.
It’s amazing what purposeful quietness can do, it resets your compass.
❤ Be wholehearted and for the right reasons ✝
Another advice I get was to manage my work load such that it’s sustainable to do them with joy.
It’s easy to get busy in the service of something good but lose sight of why you do it in the first place.
Before taking it on, weigh carefully. But once you take it on, then do it wholeheartedly and serve joyfully. And when you find yourself doing it begrudgingly, then it may be time to reconsider – being joyful is part of the package of the role of a servant.
Take such pride in your work as work done unto the Lord. That is, take such pride because He is your audience, not because it’s about you. When you take great pride in your work but not pride or concern about yourself, then you think about yourself less, even better forget yourself altogether and just focus on the task at hand.
Wisdom in being selective 🧐
A year from now, how much of our time would have been wasted to nothing / worse than nothing?
It seems like some are always on top of the latest news on social media that I sometimes wonder if they do anything else in their day. If you can so keep yourself on alert all the time (which many seem to be capable of), how productive will you potentially be in channeling that attention and vigilance at things more fruitful in life?
I am not personally on social media often, but I do think I can still do better. Not only in social media, but in considering any matters, I heard and learnt this last year (from Sinclair Ferguson I think!), ask:
‘What is it really worth?’
And also,
‘Where will it end..?’
Here are more questions to ask if I should do something:
- Is it legitimate?
- Is it enslaving?
- Is it good for others?
- Is it good for myself?
Not promoting legalism, but I think those are good questions to keep at the back of my mind as a matter of habit. I think they will wisen me up with time.
What is the kind thing to do? 🤔
If being selective in things is a challenge, choosing a right response to others is an even harder one.
In principle, ask, ‘What is the kind thing to do?’
If you’re a follower of Jesus, that’s what you should do. Much is given, much is expected. What do you do more than the others?
🗨 Fewer words
My post will still be as long, not fewer words 😛
But I’m thinking about practising more intentional listening in speaking to others. That is, seek to understand and learn to listen to what they are really saying.
I find myself reacting too rashly and often harshly to face value of what I disagree with. I think I need to slow down and listen to what they’re saying behind what they’re saying. There’s something behind people’s words, and sometimes what they want from what they’re seemingly saying.
I need to speak less 🤐 and listen more 👂👂
Maintain a heart of thankfulness 🛐
The heart of discontentment is that we think we deserve all God has given us, and more.
That’s wrong, and wrong.
Count blessings, all is mercy, free gifts and abundant grace.
Alright, that ends part 3 – end of 2021 reflections and on with the rest of 2022!