2024 has just arrived. A year is behind us, and I think (mimicking many, no doubt): where did the time go? It is time to pause and reflect. Does our life have a purpose? Are we merely drifting with the tide or steering the ship? 

It is one of the strangest things about us humans: we are so full of opinions about others — when we don’t even know ourselves. And what we do “know” about ourselves, we get from those same others! — Who don’t know themselves!

So, we all try to live as best we can according to these false perceptions about ourselves and others. Not surprisingly, the world of human interactions is almost universally a mess! The ultimate sorry-go-round.

We must remind ourselves to plan for the future and to live for TODAY. A friend remarked that the brain focuses on what occurred before and what will transpire tomorrow – but NOT today. We must also learn to live today, not just in the past or future. It sounds simple enough, but it isn’t. 

Mediocre people only want profit and pleasure for themselves. They achieve limited ends and remain stunted all their lives. Great leaders have a goal beyond their selfish, self-centred interests. They embrace a higher cause. They are the ones who achieve success, are happy and grow into towering personalities.

Some of us no doubt have had instances where friends suddenly succumbed to illness, traffic accidents or just burnout. One particular incident comes to mind whereby the wife of a former business partner died of a stroke just as they were about to embark on the plans they always had for their retirement in the sunshine without stress. What is the point of having money if you are dead? 

My father once told me: ‘Save for a rainy day! But remember, it won’t rain for three months.’ As much as I like flying first or business class, its pleasure and novelty diminish the more I do. Habit kills joy, and consequently, you need to get more and more, to put it in slang, to get a new high. 

Life is misleading; that which gives instant pleasure recurrently leads to lasting misery, and true happiness oft appears in the garb of sorrow. It does not mean you have to lead a boring life. Revel in the world’s offerings, travel to exotic locations, shop in the finest malls, and eat exotic food. The key is to remember to invest in building your inner reserves. Develop sincerity of action, purity of heart and clarity of thought. You will be assured of a life of prosperity, happiness and growth.

The Bible helps cultivate oneness, cooperation and harmony. The adrenaline that comes with competition is replaced by the quiet strength of love. You move from a deeply entrenched feeling of antagonism to that of understanding and respect. You shift from isolation to communication. And, finally, you commune with the Divine! Love translates into great teams and incredible success. Your happiness multiplies, and you become an outstanding leader.

The Bible gives knowledge. It speaks of the impermanence of the world. The world is a mix of opposites; it is constantly changing. The wise seek the permanent. Knowledge lends clarity with which you become a sharp, creative thinker. You achieve success. You are happy as you are not dependent on the world any more. And you transform from an ordinary mortal to an extraordinary immortal.

Remember, now that we are into 2024, we are not mere passengers in life’s journey. We are the drivers of our own destiny. The law is – As you think, so you become. A happy mind creates a happy world; an ill-tempered mind projects an angry world. A small mind is focused on petty, insignificant things. A mature mind sees beauty and grandeur in the same world. Look at life with joy and enthusiasm, and sadness vanishes.

Many Catholics, especially in more traditional quarters, express scepticism about the need to read the news. The sentiment is that the worldliness and accompanying matters of the world are distractions. The argument would suggest that we should instead direct our minds to higher plains and the divine.

Such thoughts are understandable, especially in the face of what passes for “news” these days, not to mention the often anti-religious slant and aggressively progressive (or is it the other way around?) agenda in mainstream media nowadays. But a tendency to overly focus on the otherworldly can come at the cost of taking part in the necessary daily battles we must face as Catholics rooted in the world. And at a time in which the world needs Catholics more than ever. 

As a Catholic, it is, in fact, our duty to know what is happening in the world. How else could we pray for those who suffer, stay informed about the times we find ourselves in, and better equip ourselves to change it for the better? 

In other words, for most of us, our lot is to live in the world but not to be of it. That’s not an easy distinction to straddle. And when reading competing narratives in the news, it can seem difficult to discern the truth. 

Incontrovertibly, plenty of “fake news” exists, but the assertion that knowledge of the contemporary world hinders holiness is as bad a case of inaccurate news as any. As we find ourselves at the threshold of 2024, Catholics need to stay up to speed with events and engage with the world. Disregarding the superfluity of any reason, it would be because it gives us hope. Hope to our efforts in defending and promoting the defeat of the communal push for chaos, communalism and control.