Oh, the oft-times elusive New Year’s Resolution. I don’t believe in them, at all. With eight children I knew better. Was I to expect myself to cook healthier meals and match socks from the massive bucket at the same time? In my young motherhood, I would’ve been setting myself up for certain failure.
Citing the online Statistic Brain Research Institution, I discovered a powerful statistic regarding resolutions. According to experts, 42.4% of people never succeed and fail their resolution each year. Resolutions? No. But, I do have a hope-filled, worldwide suggestion.
The year 2017 has been wrapped into a nice and tidy bow. Within the past year, most of us have experienced both the bitter and the sweet. But, now it’s a new year, and it’s abundant with possibilities. Begin with a goal that could affect more than just your tiny corner of the world.
This year, I am setting a goal that charges my spirit with hope. What I have in mind is not a “Monday-Wednesday-Friday” type of goal. It isn’t something ridiculous such as running a marathon without training. I’m speaking of a goal that can be worked on at any time and on any day. You”ll never have to make another resolution again, just keep this goal on repeat.
Unfortunately, the past year was awash in the most bitter kinds of inhumanity. Brutality, terrorism, civil unrest, corruption, war, and even natural disasters are a part of daily life. The world seems cold, cruel and void of compassion. How often do you see “The Golden Rule” in action: love thy neighbor as thyself?
This is simple: make a goal meant to uplift humankind. Unrest in our world would virtually end with the smallest acts of kindness. For instance, just smiling more often, would expand happiness one hundred fold.
Russell Ballard, author, church leader, and public speaker, delivered a speech in which he talked about the wonder of bees:
“Honeybees are driven to pollinate, gather nectar, and condense the nectar into honey. It is their magnificent obsession imprinted into their genetic makeup by our Creator. It is estimated that to produce just one pound of honey, the average hive of 20,000-60,000 bees must collectively visit millions of flowers. Over its short lifetime of just a few weeks to four months, a single honeybee’s contribution of honey to its hive is a mere one-twelfth of one teaspoon.
“Though seemingly insignificant, each bee’s one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey is vital to the hive. Work that would be overwhelming for a few bees becomes lighter because all the bees faithfully do their part.”
This story provides a delightful analogy. Humans are similar to honeybees in that we should be driven with love and purpose to produce a sweet end-result. That drive to be a vital, positive part of mankind is within us. Our world is a hive of diverse people, millions of people, that are needed to work simultaneously towards a common goal. The “nectar” in this analogy, is generated from respect, from working and living side-by-side in harmony, and from brotherly love.
You can exercise this new goal at any time, in any place. It’s impossible to calculate the cumulative effort of goodwill that would come about from a simple, united goal. It will most likely come naturally to you. Together we can make a sweeping change; a revolution in the world. Begin with your family and spread the love.
John Lennon expressed this in his song lyrics “Imagine”:
“Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people sharing all the world
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join me
And the world will live as one”
United we can live as one.
