By Abe Villarreal
When big, dramatic, events hit you – the kind that are life changing – sometimes it feels like you have to start all over again.
Those really big kinds of events like a career change, or a death in the family. They can mess you up, but only if you let them.
Every morning I listen to the local radio station. Turning on the radio is part of my daily routine. Wake up. Hit the on button. Brush my teeth. Even though it seems commonplace, every day is a new beginning. Life is starting over again.
Sure, dramatic stories make for tear-jerking moments. Those videos we see on social media always get to us. The military dad coming home. The colorblind guy that put on those new glasses, and opened up his eyes to color for the first time in his life. The mom that realized her daughter was depressed through a Facebook post, except it was too late.
Life can be pretty tough, and it's tougher when you wait to play defense.
Waking up each morning to the realization that the next 24 hours are a clean slate is a wonderful feeling. The flowers, the sun, and our animal friends already know it.
Your dog and cat carry no baggage. Bygones are bygones. They live for the moment and don’t worry about what tomorrow brings.
The Book of Matthew tells us that the birds in the air don’t worry about their next meal, and yet our heavenly Father feeds them.
Humans worry. We act when we don’t have to and sometimes act when we shouldn’t. We forget to think, pause for a moment, and take a deep breath.
The mass shooting in Las Vegas left us feeling like life has little value. At least, that is what the shooter must have felt about his own. How does one get to the point where humans mean so little to each other?
If you believe that you were created in God’s image, then you know you mean so much, especially to Him. And if you believe this powerful truth, then you believe that everyone is filled with worth and promise.
Stop believing what you hear in popular culture, on TV, and even from our politicians. Disagreements don’t mean that one side has value while the other doesn’t.
I’m right. You’re wrong. This doesn’t lift anyone up. Not in meaningful terms.
Each day, as I turn on the radio, and listen to the Radio Bilingue program, I hear the voices and words of my ancestors. The stories they tell through poetic lyrics are beautiful. They teach me and give me life lessons. Most importantly, they assure me that as generations pass from one to another, everything is new again.
Yes, life is tough, but it’s only as tough as we let it become. We have the power to make every day a new beginning.
Let tomorrow be a new start for you. It will be for me.
Abe Villarreal is the Director of Communications at Western New Mexico University. When not on campus, he enjoys writing about his observations on marketing, life, people and American traditions.