2012.Resolutions.Reflections

Hey everyone, I apologize for my tardiness in posting up 2012 reflections and New Year's Resolutions, but 2011 has definitely not been a regular year, by any means.  Celebrating and welcoming the New Year an hour before even the crystal ball dropping in Times Square (the US Virgin Islands are an hour ahead, go figure), was not the only new experience...but rather than hearing fireworks, the loud crackles and pops were later explained to my dad and me--they were celebratory gunshots.  Talk about the non-conventional.

At any rate, back to tradition and convention with some thoughts on waving the 2011 year goodbye, and things to work on in 2012:

1. Not only read, but live the Living Word.  One of my key resolutions from 2011 was to practice real tithing, where I would give 10% of my spending per week and give it to the church I attended.  To this end, I was successful in reaching my goal of going one year of truly giving 10%.  It was definitely with sacrifice, and compromises were made when it came to personal spending.  This has helped me become more disciplined in spending on myself, on not being focused on material, earthly possessions, and that the true treasures are that of spirit, not of this world.  My goal for this year, is to really reflect those lessons learned from the Word into everyday living.  One section that I have particularly taken a liking to, as something for me to work on, is seen in James 3:1-12.  Taming of the tongue.  Those who know me know exactly what needs to happen here.

2. Buckle down.  Something that I never really truly thought I would need to remind myself with, and that was to take care of business academically.  I suppose in previous years and in lower levels of education, I was always fine with where I was relative to other people, in both comprehension, and grades.  In medical school, the competition may not be as outwardly apparent, and the pass/fail system really takes away the stress that would normally be a motivator for me to continuously strive for a higher percentage.  However, I am blessed with a good group of guys that not only help me study, but challenge me to understand better, and constantly push my limits on what I need to know and what I should know.  My resolution is to be more self-motivated to go beyond what is minimally necessary, (even if P=MD), and really enjoy the learning for what it is worth.

3. Be patient and live life.  I've always been impulsive.  It's come with its pros and cons; I've always been on the forefront of many aspects of my life because of gut instinct, natural intuition, and quick action.  However, this has also gotten me into trouble before, and I've realized that at this stage in my life, it is less appropriate to really rush through everything; rather, my resolution for this year is to really slow down and really let God take the reins.  God knows a lot more than I do, and clearly has a pretty good idea of where I am to end up, how I'm going to get there, and when I'm going to get there.  No need to rush a perfect game plan, hm?

That's all I have for this year, plenty of tough stuff to work on, but cheers to an exciting New Year in 2012!

New Year Resolution ver. 2011

2010. It’s been a long, difficult journey, highlighted by some pivotal events in my life:

-I’ve suffered and recovered from a massive episode of heartbreak.

-I’ve found a venue for my creative writing, which serves more as a stream of conscious thought.

-I’ve found Jesus again after nearly 4 years of a hiatus away in the darkness.

-I’ve studied for and taken the MCAT, applied to and interviewed at Medical Schools (I’m STILL interviewing at those medical schools).

-I’ve found out that there are not only different kinds of love, but in the most unexpected places (trust me, I wasn’t looking).

-I’ve gone through the worst academic semester, in my entire career (including middle and high school, and of course college).

-I’ve successfully implemented my 2010 resolution of self-improvement, and plan on continuing this into 2011.

-I am dating the most amazing girl ever, who not only keeps me accountable, but constantly challenges me to love God, keep Him as the center of my universe, and praise Him for what he has done in my life and in those around me.

That being said, my New Year Resolution for 2011 is related to worshipping God. From a very young age, I’ve been blessed with musical talent and a sensitive ear for intonation. Only recently, have I been able to truly use this blessing and gift to worship the One who gave it to me. Being part of the ACF Worship Team has not only opened my eyes to what it means to play worship songs, but also allowed me to find joy in bringing other people’s hearts closer to God through my gift.

One thing that I’ve always looked at with a grain of salt was money. I’ve never really truly valued money, I’ve always seen it as a means to get things done in this physical world that we live in. To that end, I am generous, if not borderline reckless with the way that I spend my money on others. I hardly ever spend things on myself, unless it was through some agreement that I had promised myself, and therefore worked hard for. When I heard Pastor Darrin talk about being promiscuous with your money and not your body, I first felt like I was in the clear, because I was very generous in paying for people’s meals, covering for their tab if they forgot their wallet, etc. However, I realized that I was missing a key aspect of it all. This was God’s money, and I’m only entitled to be spending so much of it, before I have to start giving back.

With that in mind, my New Year Resolution for 2011 is to keep track of my spending per week and give 10% of what I’ve spent on myself and others back to the Church through offerings. This way, I can not only feel like I’m contributing to God’s work here on this Earth, but also, in a way, worship God.

God bless and have a Happy New Year, everyone.

A new year, perspective, life.

2010. Twenty-ten. Just the year's name is different from years past. This is the mark of something big, something different, something new.

2009 came and went, with the usual customary ups and downs, and I guess that leaves much to be missed and much to be improved on. Someone once told me, "Turn to people to who you can trust, return to what you have experienced, yearn to experience more, and learn from it all."

And so, on that note, my 2010 resolutions:

1. Turn to people who I can trust:

I've made so many friends at WashU, and they have taught me the true meaning of friendship. Let it be consoling in times of difficulty, being there to enjoy the good times with me, or even something as simple as a driving motivation to bring me back down to reality, make me realize my flaws as well as my strengths, and to constantly push me to continue on the quest for self-improvement. You guys know who you are, I'm eternally grateful for all that you guys have done. Couldn't have made it through without you guys. This year, I am hoping to build this relationships stronger still, and also, get in touch with people that I've definitely been unable to talk/see as much. Again, you guys know who you are, we'll find more time to really sit down.

2. Return to what you have experienced:

Despite what people say, 20 years is a long time, with a lot of memories and experiences that may no longer be available once out of the realm of childhood and into the brutal world of maturity. Based off different standards, people are judged and viewed as mature/immature, responsible/childish, or sensitive/insensitive. I have realized that it is simply impossible for anyone to clearly fall into one category or the other. As Aesop's fables have taught us, "it is impossible to please everyone." This year, I am going to go back to the basics, really pull from the one heck of a ride that I've had thus far.

3. Yearn to experience more:

20 years is now a little more than a fourth of what the average man will experience in his entire lifetime. That being said, I've only covered (hopefully) 25% of what will be a very interesting life. If the first 20 years have been this interesting, I can only begin to speculate what will the future have waiting for me down the road of life. This year, I want to really get out there, and see what life's got in store for me. Some of you may have heard me say before, "The only way to live in your twenties, is to live like you're going to die by 30." Well, hopefully I don't die at 30, but at least I'll have experienced as much as if I was going to.

4. Learn from it all:

The accumulation of everything else, this one will most definitely be the hardest of them all. No one likes to admit when they're wrong, but even when they admit it, it's even harder to learn the lesson associated with the mistake made. I am, just like everyone else, guilty of only being able to learn from experiences that either did not concern me, or did not involve me as much. This year, I will try to face mistakes head on, accept when I'm wrong, accept it with grace, and above all, learn from it so that I won't have to repeat it later.

If I am able to achieve these four points, I'll be on the right track toward the self-improvement process.