Five Things We Should Do in 2024

Hey, guys! It’s me, Dai. Again. I know, I know. You already knew that. (I’m hoping to get some more writers for the DaiDreamer blog in this upcoming year.) Unless you didn’t know that. In which case I’d better introduce myself. My name is Daijah, and I am the creator of the blog DaiDreamer, a blog geared toward homeschool kids and their parents but that is open to all. Welcome to DaiDreamer. I hope you keep reading this blog and are encouraged by it.

So, at the time I am writing this post, it is the first (actual) week of December. But by the time this post comes out, it will be the first week of February. Yeah, my posts are really spaced out nowaday because this school year, I became a college student and wow, my schedule is busy.

Today I just really want to encourage you guys, young and old, to step out of your comfort zones. It’s a brand-new year, and think of it like starting off pedaling on your bike. The start is a little slow and shaky, but as you start to pedal, you get steadier and faster until you’re flying! I just want to help you get steady a little quicker than usual. If you have someone to push you, like how my dad gave me a push to start me off when I was young, you’ll get going way quicker. So, here are five tips to get you flying!

1. Forget the mistakes you made in the last year. I’ve found that sometimes, things I’ve done in the past bother me so much I am afraid to try new things. For example, I used to pencil draw anime style pictures and write fantasy stories. During that time, I was going through some pretty discouraging and even twisted thoughts. Eventually, I realized that the life I wanted I couldn’t carry these things with me into, so I threw out all the stories, the pictures, the ideas, and the guilty feelings that came along with all of it. I thought I’d never draw again, because I was scared of making the same mistakes all over again, but God guided me toward a new style of drawing– the marker drawings I do today. God really came through for me.

2. Rededicate your life to God. Every year, me and my family begin the year with a fast in order to realign our lives with God’s will and to focus on the things we want to work toward in the year ahead. You and your family might benefit from doing a fast at the beginning of the year, even while it’s February. If you can’t do a three week fast from certain types of food, fast from social media, TV, or even books besides the Bible. Anything that matters to you can be a means of fasting and growing closer to God. You really will hear Him.

3. Recognize people around you. I have noticed in the past couple months that there is a lot of work being done within the Christian fiction genre to begin introducing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color into our typically white world of Christian fiction. I am certain that we will have even more Christian BIPOC authors within this upcoming year. And I want to encourage you, whether you are Asian, Black, or White, to open up your horizons and begin to pick out books with people who don’t look like you. Sadly, as a Black Christian, I’ve had to do that many times. White characters fill the books that I have enjoyed from the Christian genre. But now, we all have the choice to begin to diversify our reading selections. Do the same thing with your friends. Don’t just choose White friends because you’re White or Black ones because you’re Black. Psalm 153: 1 says, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” And I truly agree. If this is something you struggle with, I encourage you to read the Bible/supplementary materials and seek the Lord on the matter. And if you need help diversifying your personal reading tastes, I’ll be sharing posts about what I’ve been reading this year during March.

4. Learn to love yourself as much as you love other people. I still struggle with my hair sometimes. I have the curliest of curly hair and the thickest, to boot. It can be hard to manage at times, and often, I don’t feel as pretty as my straight or wavy-haired friends. You might have a pet peeve about something about yourself, or maybe just yourself entirely. Well, that’s okay, because Psalm 139 says all the things you need to hear about all of it. Memorize this Psalm, or at least a couple verses and recite them in your mind or loud any time you begin to have thoughts doubting your self worth. And remember, “do your best, be your best, look your best,” as Dr. Stanley said.

5. Pour goodness into the garden of your mind. You can thank Dr. Anita Phillips for creating that concept. In her book, Phillips says that your mind is a garden and your neurons are like plants. To take proper care of that garden, you must be mindful of what you put into it. And you have to handle the things that are damaging the soil of your mind, like trauma, self doubt, and anger. Some things you might want to consider planting in your mental garden this year are some Bible verses, positive music, and wholesome TV shows. Things you might have to address are people you haven’t forgiven, traumatic events in your life that affect you on a daily basis, and your body’s pain signals. It’s really difficult, but rewarding, and the books Brave (for teen girls), Becoming a Worry Free Parent, The Garden Within, and The Power of Positive Thinking can really help you to begin that journey. If you need to, however, take that journey with a counselor.

These things I’ve listed will help you so much in the new year. If you cultivate them and truly focus on what is good, you can bring to your own life and other peoples’.

I’m open to what you guys suggest doing during the new year! So leave it in the comments’ section. Please!

I hope you all have a great day today! Thank you for reading my post. That takes time. That takes focus. That takes stopping your racing brain and reading. I’m proud of you! And I love you!

‘K, bye!

#changesin2024 #newyear2024 #newyearsresolutions #racialawareness