by Marie Grace B. Manlapaz
MNCHS Teacher

Each time a new year comes we always hear the reminders to change. What are we going to change? Is it time to cast things aside, old habits and pleasures or is it just time to improve what is or what was?

It is easy to promise one’s self, “I resolve to do this and that”’ but it involves not just the words but the actions, a lot of determination, hard work, a firm resolve to translate the change into a reality. We would like to believe that man has the innate desire to do more, to improve himself and his work, to aspire for something better and so on and so forth. The list is endless for there are a thousand and one ways and things we note everyday that we would like to change.

To start is the hardest thing. So we ask.”Where do I begin?” When, for sure, is now. If it is a bad habit to be laid aside or an addiction to anything that has become a part of one’s being then, there would not only be the promise one makes but harder still is to act and do what is to be done.

Let us start with small things which make or break our day. As teachers we know that we have our faults, our shortcomings not only to our family but more so the learners who have been entrusted to our case. The start of each school day may either be inspiring or frustrating to both the learner and the teacher. A wrong start causes by a trifling incident is just the first of all things that forebodes ill for the whole day not only in school but may be carried over to the home and the family.

As the saying goes, avoid getting up on the wrong side of the bed. Greeting the dawn with a frown makes one irritable and angry starting with those around us and getting wider in scope to include the whole world and all the people in it. If we have been in the habit of blaming others for everything that goes wrong, then one simple step to happy day would be to set aside what is wrong and focus on the brightness of the sun as God gives us a new day to do our best. Don’t say change is impossible. Set your heart and mind on it and you can’t possibly go wrong. Let us give it a try.