NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION

"It's just another New Year's Eve, another night like all the rest..." Well, what's new about New Years? As far as I know, the only thing that changes in this country every end of the year are resolutions (not to mention the price increases that we have every year). But just like politicians' promises every campaign season of every coming elections... "walang bisa!" Sometimes, sa umpisa lang magaling, afterwards wala na. Tulad halimbawa ng isang chain smoker that promises every year he will never ever smoke again as long as he lives. Pero a few days lang after January 1, heto na at galing sa grocery, may dalang isang paketeng Marlboro! Hindi kaya ang ibig sabihin ng New Year's Resolution ay opposite of what you are promising you would do for the coming year? NGEK!!! What must be done para maging effective ang isang new year's resolution? O cge, subukan natin isipin at limilimiin kung paano magiging effective ang isang New Year's Resolution. FIRE!!!

New Year means new hope, new opportunities, new life... the first thing (at least, I think) before creating a resolution is we should renew our mind. Have a new mind-set. If you don't have a mind, go to the supermarket and buy one, and pick the one that lasts very long, yung walang expiration date ha (joke!). If we had experienced failures in the past year, hayaan na lang natin na maging lesson sa atin iyun. Ang importante ngayon is to set our mind in obtaining our goal. "This is what I should do.", "This is what must be done!" PERIOD! Set your mind na kaya ko ito! According to Romans 12:2 = "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Malinaw na malinaw that even the Bible says that we should renew our mind. Hindi lang basta gagawa ka ng New Year's Resolution, isusulat mo pa sa papel at itatabi lang kung saan. Kaya pala hindi nagiging effective kasi hindi natin binabago ang pananaw natin. Sabi ng iba, "Promises are made to be broken." kaya hayun, every year na lang broken ang mga promises nila kasi yun ang nasa puso't isip nila. "E hindi na bale kung di ko magawa yung promise ko kasi promises are made to be broken 'di ba... Anyway, there is always next year." Ganun ba dapat ang mind-set natin? Kung ganun ka, it's about time to renew your mind.

Year after year, ginagawa ng marami ito. Bata, matanda, dalaga, binata, may ngipin o wala, may New Year's Resolution. Another thing para makatulong for us to have an effective resolution is SACRIFICE. Yes, alot of things will be sacrificed. Bakit? Because we will not be doing what we were used to do. If you are used to spending a large amount of money every payday in senseless or "leisure-ful" things, and realized it was wrong (kasi humihingi ka na sa nanay mo ng pamasahe kasi ubos na sweldo mo at panay na ang sermon nya sa yo) and made a decision that you will save more and spend less, you just have to give up those things. Hindi madali lalo na kung nakasanayan mo na. Sana ganito ang ginagawa ng mga politiko at ilang government officials natin... sacrficing their own interest for the nation's benefit... I'm sure, kay ganda ng Pilipinas.

Resolutions are made to be kept and completed. Kung di mo kayang gawin, wag ka nang mag-resolution pa. Gawin mo na lang kung ano ang tama. At ang pinaka-tama sa lahat, is to dedicate your New Year's Resolution to God. Accept the fact na hindi mo kayang gawin mag-isa and you need HIS help and guidance. Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit your works to the LORD And your plans will be established." Di natin kayang baguhin ang sarili natin, only God and God alone can change a person. And yes, he can even change our government leaders (and that includes GMA).

So relax lang sa paggawa ng New Year's Resolution; pray and be optimistic that 2007 will be a prosperous year for all of us Filipinos. MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!