The next 363 days

It’s the second day of the year, 363 more days of new beginnings.

I’m thankful for love, because of it I exist

I’m thankful for loss, because of it I value the people I love more

I’m thankful for pain, because of it I’ve been strengthened

I’m thankful for discomfort, because of it I’ve become resilient

I’m thankful for failure, because of it I’ve tried harder

I’m thankful for disappointment, because of it I’ve learned that I can’t always have my way

I’m thankful for rejection, because it humbled me

I’m thankful for my mistakes, because they’ve taught me a better way to live life

I’m thankful for it all, the good and the bad,

Because of them, I’m me

I like who I’m becoming and I’m proud of what I have become

I’m thankful for the graces I’ve received, even in people and things I don’t recognize yet as graces.

I’m thankful.

I rewrote this prayer from a post on FB by my friend Ramon Carrion. I urge you to rewrite it, too, filling in your own words after the phrase, “I’m thankful for love, because...”, “I’m thankful for pain, because...” and so on. Try it, it makes you realize that all you’ve ever been through in life happened for a reason, and is happening for a purpose.

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I’m thankful for the many presents I received, and since today is the first working day of the year for most of us, let me share with you two calendars that I won’t mind looking at every day.

They remind me of how to go through life as breezily as we can and who, through the years, can help us breeze through life.

One calendar is from Korina Sanchez, who undoubtedly went through a most challenging year last year. Korina, who’s now taking up her master’s in Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University’s Communications Department, is a tough cookie with a marshmallow filling. I think she feels more for her husband, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas — who has been, in my opinion, unfairly criticized for a spliced recording of his meeting with Leyte officials — than for herself.

“I am counting on God’s hand to vindicate Mar,” Korina says. “All this has really taken a toll on us, dealing with our own issues. Time to be really strong.”

Korina gave me a Christmas basket with practical goodies — including a 2014 calendar based on the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff...and it’s all small stuff by Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

It’s a day-to-day calendar of passages from the book, broken down into 365 chunks so you can digest them more easily.

Even if we had toned-down celebrations during the holiday season, it was still a whirl for most of us. Obligations plus merriment plus indulgence don’t really add up to a serene cocktail. Add to that the anxiety for the deadlines and responsibilities of the coming year, and you’ll be truly frazzled. Time for some chamomile tea for the soul, and let me quote from the first three entries of the “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” calendar.

Jan. 1 (Wednesday)  — “When you really think about sweating the small stuff, what you’re really doing is getting caught up about something. Something happens (or doesn’t happen), and we think about it. Then we think about it some more. Then we do it again. We blow it up bigger than it probably is. Part of us believes that, if we could just think about it a little more, the problem would be solved.”

Jan. 2 (Thursday) — “The simple truth is, the fact that you’re caught up in your thinking is often more relevant to the stress you’re feeling than whatever it is you’re caught up about.”

Jan. 3 (Friday) — “The next time you’re feeling a little stressed, see if you can notice yourself becoming caught up in your own thinking. Say something to yourself like, ‘Okay, there I go again,’ or some other way to remind yourself that the real problem isn’t so much what you’re upset about, but rather the fact that you’re caught up in it to begin with.”

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Another calendar I will treasure for the next 363 days came from my Assumption batchmate Marissa Orosa Concepcion, in whose beautiful home our batch Christmas party was held. After the party, Marissa thoughtfully gave each one of us a calendar wherein each month had a group photo of the batch. Our group picture that day was reproduced to represent December 2014.

The cover of the desk calendar had tried-and-tested sayings on friendship, like “Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they are always there.”

Here’s to less “sweating the small stuff” and reveling in the big moments of 2014!

Happy New Year! (You may e-mail me at [email protected].)