By: Vince DiPasquale
Welcome to a brand new year – 2021! May God bless you and your family in the New Year. Take time to reflect on 2020 and try to see the lessons we’ve learned through our experiences. Even the negative experiences are our teachers. The Indian culture tells us to listen to Mother Nature. It is the barometer of life. I always remembered the slogan, “You can’t fool Mother Nature.” This past year we have been given a clear message of destruction. From the storms that wreaked havoc on the gulf coast to the fires in the west, our weather patterns have been wacky and different. Maybe we need to take a look at our attitude towards the environment. If we continue to misuse it, Mother Nature will misuse us. To the ancients, the land was sacred & to be honored so that it would nurture them. As we start the New Year, let us ask some questions that are connected to nature.
What is our attitude towards nature? Do we treat nature as our friend? How can we help? Take time to recycle and respect the land we live on, eat foods that are grown from healthy farms, conserve energy, walk more – drive less, don’t litter, protect our trees and plants, respect our wetlands and honor our oceans and lakes. Just keep life simple. If we treat Mother Nature with respect, she will respect us.
Life is supposed to be enjoyed, and I truly believe that if you keep life simple and do service to others, you’ll be rewarded a hundredfold. We all need the spirit of family so that we can learn and grow from each other. During this New Year, be open to learn and grown. Let’s all have the spirit of humility. Reach out and do service to yourself as well as others. Remember that each person that comes into your life is your teacher. God tries so hard to bring his message to us through our neighbors and family. Each one of us is a gift. God gave us life and we should develop the gift by learning to love ourselves and getting to know others; don’t be afraid to share your gifts. Believe me, you’ll be rewarded a hundredfold. This is the motto of the New Year. Remember that when you share your gifts, talents, and generosity, they will come back to you. The more generous we are, the greater the rewards. Life is special. Each one of us is unique. Thank God we are different from each other. Diversity is the key to life. During this New Year, renew your commitment to live, learn, respect, and honor yourself. Remember, whatever we do to ourselves, we do to others. Our energy will be passed on to the people we touch. This is the circle of life. Be part of it. Don’t be a spectator. Let’s all make 2021 a year to be proud of.
God bless!
