You must know that life moves in the direction of the best. Wherever there’s something better, life moves that way. 

On the way, you may find rough roads. But still, all the difficulties you’ve faced in the past year have given you a certain depth. The difficulties bring depth, and joy gives you breadth. 

Wise ones will see the past as destiny, the future as free will, and be happy in the present. The unwise people will see the past as free will, saying “I should have done this better and that better.” They regret the past. 

They also think the future is all destined, saying “Whatever is going to happen will happen,” and in the present they become miserable. This is unwise. 

This year, you have a choice to either be the first type or the second type. Are you going to become happy or miserable? 

If you want to be happy, see the whole past as destiny, the future as free will, which is open to you, and be happy now. 

Free will vs. destiny

When you’re free, you have a will. When things happen the way we want, we call that free will. When things don’t happen the way we want, then we call it destiny. So, whether an event is free will or destiny is determined by the direction of your thoughts. 

You wanted to have potatoes for dinner, for example. When you go to the dining hall and you see potatoes, you say, “See, I have willed it. I wanted potatoes, and now I have potatoes.” 

The cook’s mind got a thought, “I want to make potatoes.” And you wanted potatoes. Then, when the potatoes were baked, you said, “It’s my free will.” 

But when you think “No, I want macaroni,” and the cook says, “No, I’m going to make potatoes,” then you call it destiny!

So, what nature has in store for us, if our thoughts are aligned with that, we’re free. When you become free from stress, your mind is in rhythm with nature, and you’re aligned with nature. 

Human values make society safer

If you want to be miserable, see the whole past as being full of your mistakes and regret the past. The future will also be destiny since you don’t know what’s going to happen, and so in the present, you might remain upset. This is an unwise way of living. 

To make this year better, know that money isn’t the essence of life. Life has much more to give you. Systems like capitalism and communism all have their own flaws. Wake up from these flaws and move on! 

The greed of one person can destroy many peoples’ lives. Unless we bring human values into education, greed can’t be erased from society. Unless greed is erased from society, and human values are embraced, it isn’t going to be violence-free or stress-free. It won’t be a safe society. 

Celebration is an attitude

Each new year gives a lesson to the world. Come on, wake up! Greed is bad for the world. If you visit a poor area, you’ll see that to celebrate life, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. It’s the enthusiasm, the smile, and the joy in you that makes a celebration or party. Celebration is an attitude and doesn’t require vast resources. 

Celebration makes you reconcile with the past and move on to the future with enthusiasm. Whatever little you have, share with others. 

To deal with the constant change in your life, realize that there’s something that’s constant. Hold onto that. Grab what is constant and flow with the change. 

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Editor’s note:

To learn more about our pillar program, SKY Breath Meditation, check out our free breath and meditation online session with a live instructor. SKY has helped millions of people around the world improve all aspects of their lives. Learn how you too can benefit from a SKY practice.

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