2021: A YEAR TO BELIEVE AND TO CREATE

 

 

Por Jorge Manuel Zelaya Fajardo

www.jorgemanuelzelaya.com

January 6th,  2021

 

"Always be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors and let each new year 

find you being a better human being."

-- Benjamin Franklin

 

 

 

The beginning of the new year 2021 reminds us of the validity of the Gregorian calendar, which, being promulgated by Pope Gregory XIII, came to replace in most of the countries of the world today, the Julian calendar, which was based on the Egyptian or solar calendar. However, for practical purposes in our daily lives, the calendar represents a system of measuring time, which facilitates (or should do so) the passing of our daily activities.

This year 2021, which is just beginning, has an inheritance made up of the consequences of the Covid19 pandemic that has hit humanity, taking life and making human beings sick in the 193 countries recognized by the United Nations. (It is important to mention that between countries and territories recognized and not recognized by the United Nations in the world there are 218). In the same way, the economic crisis (a natural consequence of the same pandemic) is added to this inheritance in almost all the continents, not to forget the political, social and humanitarian problems and even those from natural disasters in some parts of the world.

 

In spite of all of the above, I have wanted to write a few lines that can contribute as  a fresh breeze of hope; but with real and immediate practical application for our personal and professional life. I couldn't forgive myself for stealing time from an avid reader, with lyrical phrases used by snake charmers or multi-level salesmen (I was one of those in my youth). I have decided to capture in a few lines what I consider to be the 2 basic concepts that will govern all my 365.2425 days (Gregorian calendar) of this new year. Those two concepts are TO BELIEVE & TO CREATE. And to make the journey of the learning experience easier and more fun, let me outline a list of 21 activities to BELIEVE and 21 activities to CREATE in this new cycle.

 

 TO BELIEVE

1. In God.

2. In ourselves in 101% fashion.

3. In that every problem has a solution.

4. In that there is a light at the end of the tunnel called hope.

5. In the goodwill of the people.

6. In that hard work to get ahead cannot be replaced by anything.

7. That 2021 will be better than 2020.

8. In that KAIZEN (continuous improvement in Japanese) is not only a philosophy of life but a tool for daily work.

9. That everyone can learn not to steal or lie.

10. That a 26.21 miles marathon is run 1 miles at a time. One step after the other.

11. That abundance (physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and economic wealth) should be almost mandatory for all human beings everywhere.

12. That the comfort zone is where nothing good happens.

13. There is no greater crisis than not having, giving, receiving or sharing love.

14. That poverty is, initially, a state of mind.

15. That failure and success are woven from the same cloth.

16. That humanity is always in solidarity, but even more so in times of crisis.

17. That the ONLY person responsible for the direction of my life, is me.

18. That life is ephemeral and fragile; so we must live it intensely every day.

19. That we must study, learn and acquire new knowledge every minute of the 1,440 that we have available every day (including while sleeping ... where what we learned in the day is also consolidated).

20. That forgiveness (towards others and towards oneself) and gratitude are a vaccine against sadness.

21. Together we can achieve impossible things.

 

 

TO CREATE

 

1. New opportunities to serve and help others every day.

2. Good habits from brushing our teeth every day to saying thank you in a very frequent and automatic way.

3. A ritual of thanking God every day for the blessings received to date (and surely more will come).

4. A space in our daily schedule to read a book, recite a verse or listen to a melody.

5. A pristine and bullet proof bubble of pure love within the home with our loved ones.

6. A temple of service to others in our daily work at the office

7. A book club in the office with at least 12 members for each to buy only one book per year; but by briefly presenting it to the rest, allow each member to "read" twelve 12 books a year.

8. Sources of abundance and wealth around us for ourselves and others.

9. An emergency fund (EF) equivalent to at least 6 months of gross income; to be prepared for the unexpected.

10. At least one mini-project per month and one MEGA PROJECT by 2021.

11. A folder with sheets of paper  to record my weekly progress in order, cleanliness, punctuality and discipline as habits.

12. A daily space to exercise, drink plenty of water and sleep at least 7 hours a day.

13. More positive than negative thoughts per day.

14. A space of only 15 minutes a day to read the news. Not a minute more.

15. A trash can for complaint, negative criticism and gossip.

16. An eraser for hatred and resentment.

17. A toolbox to always have inside of it: courage, justice, temperance and wisdom.

18. Smiles on the faces of those with whom we interact.

19. A dish in the kitchen even though we have never cooked before.

20. Unforgettable vacation experiences even at home.

21. A better world… starting with ourselves first.

 

Some of the above activities may seem very difficult and others may be extremely simple. Some may be very new and some may be repetitive. Some may seem very ambitious and others very humble. The idea is to present a menu without putting a price on the right side, so that the reader can learn, have fun, meditate; but above all, take action to make this 2021 the best possible.

If the circumstances, events, problems and obstacles in this new year 2021 seem to be present in high intensity, frequency and magnitude around us, I believe that this is the ideal moment to remember the illustrious English mathematician, physicist and astronomer Isaac Newton (1643- 1727) who established in his third law of motion: "Every action is always opposed by an equal but opposite reaction." There is no doubt then that what happens to us will generate a response in ourselves. That response is absolutely our own and under the control of our thoughts, feelings and actions. Today, we have shared 21 activities to BELIEVE and to CREATE of this 2021, a better year.