Time for the New Year Reflections of a Cross-Cultural Musician

Are you ready for the New Year? Are you done with 2017? Do you wish you had done more with this past year? I do.

There are lots of things I wish I had been able to accomplish and finish and start and do and not miss certain opportunities. I wish some things hadn’t happened and other things had. I wish I had done something to make more good happen and less bad happen and prevent other things from happening and nip things in the bud and encourage other things.

I have a family I wish I had been more present and more involved in the various happenings. I get too melancholy sometimes when reflecting on the past and the changes I would make, wondering what would have happened had I done even one or two things differently.

Typical romantic.

Well I can’t change the past, but I can create my future by reflecting not only on what I would have done differently but also think now what am I doing:

What am I doing that I need to stop doing?

What am I not doing that I need to do?

What is stopping me for from doing what I really want to do I in life?

Why am I not doing it?

What is holding me back?

What do I need to let go?

What do I hang on to in its place?

 

A few months ago I read a great book called The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks. It took me down a path from losing my mind, to why sometimes I was just inches away from success and helping me realize that I simply need a change of attitude about myself toward the difficulties I have been having. I need to tell myself everyday to “expand my abundance, success, and love everyday as I inspire others to do the same.”

 

Ask yourself this: Am I willing to experience more happiness in my life? Am I willing to let others experience more happiness and not bring them down or let them bring me down?

 

Although our personal happiness should not be tied down to the collective happiness of everyone in our world, country, or neighborhood, our happiness can lead to us making a positive change in all those other spheres in the right attitude, and not out of fear, guilt, or societal pressure.

 

So breathe a sigh of relief. You can be both happy and helpful!

 

Doesn’t  the Bible say “Love your neighbor as yourself”? (Mark 12:31, NIV) Therefore, it seems like your loving your neighbor is dependent on you loving yourself. It’s like they say on the airplane when showing you how to put on the air masks: put your mask on first before helping someone else, like little children, since if you can’t breathe how can your help others breathe?

 

So have a great 2018 loving God, yourself, and your local and global neighbors fully investing in yourself as a creative person. Write, create beautiful music and do anything else worth pursuing! God bless you this new year!

Here’s a song I wrote in my early 20’s that shows my perspective on using the time you have time to best use. Songwriting is one thing of which I definitely plan on doing more this year. Maybe this reminder will encourage all of us to use our 2018 time much more wisely.

Verse 1

Time (When You Live)

Time, elusive mystery

Unbroken history proving God our Lord as King

Time, though years have passed us by

Does all the glory lie in what the future brings

 

Chorus

Do you know when you live

You gotta give whatcha have

Before your time is up forever

Do you know when He gave

He wanted your live saved

So that you would live with Him forever

 

Verse 2

Time must be prioritized

Before you realize it flew by your eyes so fast

Time should be used for good

To do what you know you should because this moment doesn’t last

(To Chorus, Bridge)

Bridge

Eternal Father help us please it’s not a life of ease

We will be ready at all times to give our hearts and minds

To you forever and ever and ever (To chorus)

(Words and Music © by Shane Hazlewood)

 

Remember to share this post if you like it, and consider subscribing to this blog to get updates and free stuff! Stay tuned to upcoming Facebook Live performances of this and other original songs later this month.

Thanks, and God bless. Guitar Shane.