Aspirations for 2010

To bring in 2010, I have come up with some aspirations not resolutions. The word resolution means a firm decision to do or not to do something, but the word aspiration means a hope or ambition of achieving something. Therefore, I have the aspiration to achieve these things over the next year. A resolution is more for those who want to go to the gym, quit smoking, lose weight, etc. I have the aspiration to do the following:

Post at least 2 new blog posts per month with a goal of one per week.

Read one book per month (at minimum).

Triathlons: Do at least 3 sprint & start training for Olympic length.

Do Run for the Reason (see blog posts from April 2009)

Do 1/2 marathon (possibly Music City)

Some personal things that I won’t mention here

What is it about the new year that makes us celebrate? Is it a reason to party? Maybe so… But why do we not celebrate each new month? Yay for February!! or March! Why not? Why not take it to the next level and celebrate the beginning of each week? Some might argue that they do party every Saturday night. So, what’s the point?

As I get older, I realize that the new year is more of a formality than something of substance. The new year as a child or youth is something to look forward to. As a student it means half-way through another school year. A new year for a 15 year old means entering the year that you get to drive. But as a 25 year old, I have no more ages to look forward to other than retirement age. Retirement is a completely different post for a different time. My point is that life is mundane and monotonous. Without something greater than ourselves there is little to live for. Therefore, those living the Ecclesiastes life have created events to make life more interesting.

I tweeted a while back asking the question, “what do you do to keep life from being mundane?”. I got responses anywhere from “have kids” to “read a book.” No one actually got what I was pointing out. The point is that life is mundane. It is boring. However, the followers of Christ have hope in the life after this one.

So, make aspirations, hope for the future, and make plans for what you will do, but keep in mind that this life is temporary, mundane, futile, and tenuous.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 -"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."