Reminders For The New Year

It’s been exactly a week now since we entered the new year with renewed promises and resolutions to ourselves. Yet, for some of us there’s nothing new in the new year, but only the continuation and perpetuation of old, vicious habits. There are some however who are determined to live up to a renewed commitment to liberate the inner self from boring and unproductive routine. I admire those people who have this discipline. As the saying goes, ‘before you conquer the future, you must first be able to conquer yourself’. What is the way out then of outmoded habits and repressive routines? Since nobody has the right to compel the way we are supposed to live our lives, it is perhaps helpful to be ‘reminded’ of some of life’s important lessons from people we admire - from our parents, family, friends, and teachers - aside from our own personal learning. Reminders have liberating force. They are aids to free us from our habitual incarceration from debilitating routines. Hence, I would like here to share these very inspiring ‘Fifteen Reminders’ from my comrade and former professor in sociology, Randy David - who, I think, is celebrating his birthday today. I have already heard most of these thoughtful reminders from him in our class in the Sociology of Post-Modernity three years ago and in his various writings and speaking engagements over the years. I learned from Ka Randy the sensibility of balancing the quest for personal perfection and the commitment to social solidarity.

1. Though our lives may be limited by circumstances not chosen by us, we nevertheless make choices all the time. Doing nothing, letting events dictate our lives, is also a choice. Be mindful of the choices you make. Do not abandon your actions; answer for them.
2. It is necessary to look after our selves. Try to look good always so you don't add to the world's gloominess. But do not forget that you also have a duty to live well with others. Give cheer, offer solidarity. Never be the cause of another person's humiliation.
3. Take care of your body, listen to its needs. It works in powerful ways, but it is not infinite in its capacities.
4. We each have our goals, big and small. Our goals are a mirror of our values. Always be conscious of what your goals are, and what it takes to achieve them. Do not hesitate to review and revise them by going back to the context that gave rise to them.
5. Living is essentially problem-solving. The solutions that work are often formulated from new ways of looking and describing. Observe how others look at life. Read and expand your moral vocabulary. Re-describe your life.
6. To understand a thing, science says, is to measure it against a standard. It is also to comprehend the context from which it sprang, and to know its uses. But remember: not everything is worth knowing.
7. Everyone has values. We acquire these in the course of our lives. Make sure your values serve you well; treat them as your "personal defense and necessity." Once you've settled on your values, live by them relentlessly.
8. The main purpose of living is to turn yourself into a beautiful and strong human being, a worthy link in the chain of generations. Each one of us is given a chance to be an artist: our selves are our first raw material.
9. Too often we become the slave of habit. Take time to pause and be silent, so that you can hear the voice of the inner self that may be struggling to free itself from mindless and debilitating routine.
10. There is no sure-fire formula for achieving anything. Armed with knowledge, you may also draw strength from having a lot of hope.
11. Live without resentment and guilt.
12. Love unconditionally and without expectation.
13. Be mindful of the world around you, and learn from Nature.
14. See clearly and act with grace.
15. Face each day with cheer.

May these reminders perpetually refresh our consciousness each and every day. And may this new year ushers in a much more caring world for all of us. Happy New Year everyone!