Thursday, December 29, 2016

Make The New Year New

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19

If you want to make the New Year new you have today and tomorrow to make that happen!

"But Brad, how can I move on past my past in two days when I have been stuck here for two years?" you may be thinking.

How to do that is the subject of the articles I have been posting all week. Here are the steps I have shared thus far, including today's fourth step.

1. Make the decision to let it go.

2. Express your pain — and your responsibility.

3. Stop being the victim and blaming others.

4. Focus on the present — the here and now — and joy.
Now it’s time to let go. Let go of the past, and stop reliving it. Stop telling yourself that story where the protagonist — you — is forever the victim of this other person’s horrible actions. You can’t undo the past, all you can do is to make today the best day of your life.
When you focus on the here and now, you have less time to think about the past. When the past memories creep into your consciousness (as they are bound to do from time to time), acknowledge them for a moment. And then bring yourself gently back into the present moment. Some people find it easier to do this with a conscious cue, such as saying to yourself, “It’s alright. That was the past, and now I’m focused on my own happiness and doing _______________.”
Remember, if we crowd our brains, our hearts — and our lives — with hurt feelings, there’s little room for anything positive. It’s a choice you’re making to continue to feel the hurt, rather than welcoming God's joy into your life.

If you were to get into your car and head onto I-95 at expressway speeds would you want to be looking out your windshield or staring at your rear-view mirror?


Of course you would be staring intently through your windshield with only an occasional glance at the rear-view mirror. So, if you wouldn't drive your car that way why would you live your life looking forward rather than behind?