A New Year, A New Beginning

CEBU, Philippines - A new year can give us an opportunity to make a fresh start. Just like the way we get rid of our old calendars and planners and change them with new ones, the start of a new year is a chance for us to make a clean slate.

Why so?

Well, perhaps because we want to move on from all the things that happened during the past year. Let’s face it, 2009 was not a good year for most of us. 2009 started with a global financial crisis, then came the devastation brought by Ondoy and Pepeng. And as if these were not enough to dampen our spirits, the last quarter of 2009 saw the grisly Maguindanao massacre and the fury of the majestic Mayon. A new beginning may help us move on and hopefully we can learn from the past.

A clean slate also gives us the chance to improve on the things that we have done and affords us the opportunity to achieve more. Despite last year’s financial crisis, Filipinos have shown resiliency. The different calamities gave rise to heroes, proving to the world that Filipinos can rise above any situation. And don’t forget Efren Peñaflorida, who did the country proud by being named CNN’s Hero of the Year. Mr. Peñaflorida is an example that we do not need to shed blood to be named a hero. We can all be heroes by doing what we love in the best possible way we can. We can be a hero by going the extra mile to help others. A fresh start will have us improve on our lives and be better persons.

A new beginning gives us the power to chart our own future. We can change the things that we think we should not have done in the past year or make adjustments in our lives, based on the lessons we have learned.

A fresh start also gives us hope – to do better, to achieve more, to get by no matter what.

A prosperous New Year to everyone!