Effort

Honestly it is difficult to begin the new year with a bright note. The fatalities resulting from all the sporadic terrorist attacks, the air tragedies, uncertainties arising from oil price shocks and gloomy economic environment bring very little cheer. It didn't help that my first session of the year with my counselee at the Girls' Home almost caused me to tear up. She described her home environment before she ran away. It was desolate. Amidst parental neglect and physical abuse she had to shelter her younger step siblings. In fact her acute awareness of the whole situation was like that of a mother to her own parents.

Recently Tommy Koh had to come out in the press to admit the facts he quoted in his article "Three wishes for the new year" were inaccurate. He had said earlier that a third of our school going children do not have money for lunch. Though it sounds rather ludicrous given the various financial schemes available,  I feel the essence of his message is about wakening up to the forgotten segment of our society that needs assistance. That is so true and beckons for attention.

On a personal front, a start of year review made me really wish for 3 things.

I have found myself becoming more sullen. Fortunately I am aware of it. It may have been my association with children from dysfunctional families. I guess it is not just the despair but the feeling of paralysis within the structure and family system.

Hence the first wish for myself is embodied in this T S Eliot's quote: "Teach us to care and not to care". It is really about having more wisdom not only to know when to care and when not to care; but also about how to transform the appropriate caring into effective words and actions. (Honestly I often feel so handicapped by my lack of insight and ideas). So there you are the first wish is begging for more wisdom.

Now onto my second wish.
I often used the following Reality Therapy checklist of psychological needs to review my life:
-Freedom(independence, autonomy)
-Fun
-Belonging
-Power (includes accomplishment & achievement)

So yes it is again about having more FUN and giving myself permission to spend money to have more fun. Incidentally this also ties in with Compassion for myself which thus leads on to my third wish which is

To be more Compassionate towards others. (I often feel guilty about being biased and prejudiced after the act)

So there you have it my own 3 wishes.
Sigh... if only they can come true.
Of course it defintiely won't come true without effort.

Let there be EFFORT to make them come true!