Freespace - Keep the good

IT seems that the year has flown by and just like that, Christmas is around the corner. It heralds the passing of a year, and the approach of all things new.
Amid the shopping rush and eating sprees, it's important to slow down and reflect on the year that will soon be over.
Every day, the world changes a little bit more. This year has been no different; we are evolving swiftly and we need to keep up. From the strangest happenings on the global and local political fronts to heartbreaking scenes as families strain to reach the safety of distant shores, everything's changing.
This year has been different for all of us. For some, it's been the best year of their lives and they look forward to a new year, filled with hope and promise.
For others, it's been the hardest, most difficult year to have ever been through. But I'm quite sure that all of us have been through some form of change.
There are many different types of change.
A change in your environment can play a big part in the way you live each day. There's also physical change, such as moving house or changing your work address.
Then there's relational change, in which you let go of friendships and discover new ones. And finally, there's self-change. This, I believe, we must always be aware of and is something.
My life has changed rapidly this year. The pillars of stability in my life are slowly shape-shifting into new forms altogether.
Confronted with the daunting excitement of change and all it brings, I've been told on more than one occasion that change is not always bad. But I don't want the change to transform me into someone I don't know.
The thought frightens me. I frankly like some parts of myself, and I don't want those to change.
So while I know how important it is to embrace change, I feel it's just as important to keep the good. Change should not be a reason for regression.
I believe it's a good reminder for all of us, to keep the good. The good is especially important in cementing our life values, for it is these that determine the kind of lives we live, and the people we become.
Good values such as integrity, compassion and justice should not be held loosely by the reins but close to our hearts.
Another good to keep is contentment. It is one of the greatest companions one can have in making the most of the lives we've been given.
Being grateful for what we have helps us see beyond ourselves so that we become kinder, and research has consistently shown that being kind and helping others makes us happier people.
And for me personally, an important one is to be fulfilled.
If the changes in your life make you dread waking up every morning, or wonder whether your life has any purpose, then the exchange of old for new may not be worth it.
In this season of reflection amid the exchanging of wrapped gifts, uplifting words and mugs of hot chocolate, let's look back on a year that has passed with gratefulness in our hearts.
We've weathered the changes, fought our own battles and prayerfully, we come out stronger.
We must always be willing to learn, but bow down to all forms of change.
This doesn't mean that we reject change entirely, but the higher aim should always be to improve with each change that comes our way.
So for 2017, don't be afraid of holding fast to what is good.
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com