By Trinity T.
So, it’s the new year, 2025. Everyone’s happy about fresh starts, new beginnings, second chances. But I’m just not feeling it, you know?
What’s the point of a new year. On 31st December, I said “Do you know it’s the new year tomorrow?” to my little sister. She’s six. She looked at me and shook her head and said “So what?”. I’d been thinking the very same thing, but off course I couldn’t say it. Not when everyone else is so pumped up about it. I’m going to talk about it here though. And I’m just thinking out loud here. If you’re in a party mood, good for you. But I need to ask these questions.
What’s the point of a new year? What does it matter if it’s 2025 or 2005? Time is a strange thing. I’m thinking whoever invented the calendar was looking for a way for humans to get a grasp on something so extraordinary. Something our human minds can’t really comprehend. Time passes by. But if we didn’t have clocks and calendars, would we notice it? Yes, we would. It would be there in the changing seasons, in the changes in our bodies going from wrinkly newborns to wrinkly old people, and in the technological advancements of our society. Basically, time was made to go by and no matter what we do, it will move on and we will feel it.
So why do we even bother to keep track of it? Because humans love being in control. And when you name something, you’re essentially bringing it out of the supernatural realm and bringing it down to your level where you can talk about it like it’s no big deal. When create a reliable stable system, you feel safe and secure. Long time ago, when man was focused on the basics, we only needed calendar systems to help plan for agricultural seasons. You needed to know when to prepare the land, when to sow seeds, and when to harvest before the crops are destroyed by the next season.
There were also religious reasons, because humans have always been drawn to believe in higher powers. Isn’t it ironic that we want control but at the same time we also want something else to be in charge? Eventually, we needed to keep track of time for civil practical reasons in the civilized world. Employers need to know when to pay their workers, democracies need a set time to allow people to exercise their rights to picking leaders, and governments need a system to help them collect money from their people. Basically, keeping track of time is essential for our civilization.
What I don’t understand is why people get all excited about a new year. Maybe people just need an excuse to party and put on spectacular firework shows. In my mind at least. Turning over a new page on the calendar doesn’t change anything in your current life. If you’ve made mistakes, the consequences are still going to haunt you in the new year. If you’re scared of something in the future, the new year is only bringing it closer. And if you’re stuck in a situation that’s out of your control (like chronic disease, political unrest), a new year isn’t going to change that.
Change starts in your mind. I think that’s why most people don’t accomplish their new year’s resolutions. They think that writing down goals on the first day of the year will translate into them pursuing those goals. But from my experience, that’s not how life works. The months go by and suddenly it’s July, no one’s throwing parties to celebrate new beginnings, and we’re back to living our isolated lives with no motivation.
There’s nothing wrong with the celebrations. But I think they distract us from what really matters. Time is passing by. We need to take hold of what we have right here, right now, and make the most of it. We need to celebrate every second we’re alive and use it to the best of our ability. The Bible says, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” The Bible also says, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” What wisdom? Wisdom to know what to do and when to do it. Instead of getting caught up in the traditions of this world, let’s start off the year with mindfulness. Let everything we do have purpose.
Time passes quickly when you’re not looking. When you’re scrolling through social media and dreaming about where you want to be. I think that if a person lives everyday with purpose, knowing where they want to be, and taking steps to get there, that person has come as close to understanding time as any human will ever get. None of us understands the secrets of God. But that doesn’t mean we should wear our ignorance like a banner. The Bible tells us to seek wisdom all through the book of Proverbs. So God’s plan isn’t for us to be mindless automatons watching and waiting for the seasons to pass.
What I’m saying is, we need to be more mindful. That’s my prayer for this year. To make sure that I’m using my time wisely, investing in the future instead of chasing instant gratification. Sorry if this is long, and not exactly festive, but I feel like someone needs to say what very few people are saying.
Happy New Year.
