As we enter the (secular) New Year we will have started writing 15 instead of 14. This small shift affords us an opportunity to think about time and how we use it. To that end, I share with you the following quote that appeared on my Facebook feed this past week: “In the end it is not the years in our life that count, but rather, it’s the life within our years”. Quote – Abraham Lincoln.
One of the best known cliches is that new year’s resolutions are made to be broken. In fact according to one recent survey, just three percent of people in the UK will keep their commitments for the full twelve months. Why is it that despite our best intentions, we find it hard to keep to our resolutions? One interesting suggestion is that our resolutions are simply not challenging enough. Tough goals force us to pay attention and stay focused.
There is no such thing as success through sheer luck. Perhaps the most important secret to success is in the way that we communicate with ourselves. With almost every experience in life, we have the free choice to choose where we want to place our focus. Do we want to focus on the negativity of our experiences and choose to become a victim, or do we want to choose to grow from our experiences and use them as feedback to further our goals and ambitions. We cannot control the environment around us, but we certainly can control our response to whatever life throws at us.
There are individuals who have their eight minutes of fame, who shine briefly to impress the world only to then fade away. Complacency is dangerous. We must constantly strive to grow and improve, lest one falter before the finishing line.
More than aspiring to achieve even greater things, let us set our minds to being inspired. The difference between aspiration and inspiration is the make or break between success and or failure. Hence in the first paragraph of the Shema we read: And these matters (namely Torah) that I command you “today” shall be upon your heart. The word “today” according the classic commentator Rashi, is crucial. Everyday presents an opportunity for renewed inspiration, to look at the wellsprings of our heritage with fresh eyes.
May the almighty enable each one of us to set our minds to having the courage to go for our dreams, and may 2015 be a year of unlimited possibility for one and all within our community.
Daniel Rosenthal