Four Principles to Live By

The first week of 2019 is almost over. I’m not an avid maker of resolutions, but I’ve attempted to live my life by these four principles for many years now, and 2019 will be no different:

1. I will understand the value of today.

Whether young or old, rich or poor, happy or unhappy, each day is a gift from God. There are no strings attached. It’s ours for the unwrapping, to spend as we see fit. We can create something of substance or whittle the hours away doing nothing at all. The choice is ours to make, but once the time is spent, it can’t be recalled. I want to spend my time wisely, showing love and speaking words of appreciation as often as I can. This might be the last day I’m privileged to unwrap. I want to leave it with something good.

2. I will not fear.

In the powerful words of Harry Emerson Fosdick, “Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable—and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God.” No matter how dark the night, or how deep my valley, the word “hopeless” won’t be found in my dictionary. Not now, and not ever.

3. I will be more childlike.

Have you ever noticed how children find joy in the simplest of things? They can spend delightful hours singing silly songs or chasing each other around the backyard. Well, I hope to be more like a child this year. More trusting, loving and forgiving. More apt to find wonder in small things. More optimistic and more free from sin. More like God, you might say.

4. I will not focus on what I cannot change. Unless you wear a halo, it’s easy to obsess over situations you cannot change. Maybe you were wrongly fired from a job, or falsely accused, or deeply wounded by a loved one who has no remorse. Take it from an expert on this topic, obsessing over it won’t change anything, and it certainly won’t bring you peace. What happened, happened. What is, is. Forgive those involved, put a period at the end of that chapter, and reset your sail.

How well I remember a cold morning in January of 2016. I was battling the storm of my life, drowning in unfathomable grief. I honestly did not want to continue living, but I awoke that morning singing a song faster than I could write it down. This wasn’t just any song, however. This was a personal love note from my Heavenly Father to me. He had seen the ocean of tears I’d cried for almost a year, and here’s a portion of what he told me: “Don’t let another teardrop roll about something that you can’t control. Let it go. Look in the mirror and smile.”

Certainly, we can’t know how the new year will unfold for any of us, but I am convinced that if we create something good each day, if we have the optimism of a child, if we don’t allow fear to imprison us, and if we focus on those things we CAN change, 2019 will be a good one for us all.