Out With The Old ???

The new year is upon us and many resolutions will be made on what can and will be done differently. For many of us this is probably the only time we reflect on ourselves and what direction our lives are taking. Sadly this is also the time many of us use for self-criticism. We are very quick to point out what we did not do well and thus will do better this coming year. It’s as if making plans for the New Year requires denigrating the old. As if the new year will automatically erase whatever we are leaving behind. I have observed this phenomenon in other areas of our lives as well. People seem to always be looking for ways to ‘trade up’ or ‘upgrade’. It’s as if moving from one to the other automatically means moving from bad to better, as if we feel the need to justify the need for the new. We have become a society that no longer appreciates the old. I wonder; when did old become bad? Why do people feel the need to criticize the old when something new comes along? A husband who wants a new wife will point out all the bad things about the current. Old people used to be appreciated for their wisdom but now we seem to think they are backwards, old fashioned and an inconvenience. The assumption remains, new is better therefore old is bad. But was this thing always bad or is it bad because new has now arrived? Is it really bad or is it bad in comparison? Can things not stand on their own merit? If it was always bad on its own merit then why did you not do or say something about it? Can my new car not be good on its own without being compared to the old? If its goodness is based on comparison is it then really good? Would it still be good if there was no old to compare it with? This need to compare puts unnecessary pressure on people to compete. Be it technology, fashion, cars or even homes, we are always comparing. And sadly the old is always dismissed. My perfectly good phone is no longer relevant because there is a latest version. It used to be that the gap between new and old was huge. It would take time before something new came on the market. Now it’s a matter of months, a year at the most and then there is this continued pressure to keep up. That is why we are so critical of ourselves this time of the year. We are looking to get rid of the old (which supposedly is now bad) and bring in the new (supposedly good). My challenge to you is to look at 2016 with affection and appreciation. Instead of wishing the old year away how about looking at it with affection. Bid a reluctant fond farewell to a beloved friend. Yes things may have not always gone the way you wanted them to but truth is that many things worked out. For starters you are alive, something that many cannot claim. This body that you plan to punish into shape carried you. Instead of making a list of things to change this coming year why not make a list of things you want to thank 2016 for. You may be surprised at what you will come up with.