Where the will of God leads you,

the grace of God will keep you.
~Unknown

Now spring is upon us, the time when the Earth blooms again, a time of renewal, rebirth and rejuvenation.

So, what, exactly, does personal renewal involve?

First it involves recognizing that your individual life is your supreme value, that it is too precious to waste or sacrifice to the unsound opinions or whims of others.

Second, renewal is about reflection, as calmly and honestly and rationally as you can, on your own life, to take stock of yourself.

Third, consider that your values and actions serve your life and your well being. What are your priorities? Do the things you desire and spend time on truly give you the deepest, long-term satisfaction? Are you living up to your full potential or even coming close?

Perhaps your values, virtues and actions do serve you well. In that case reflection gives you a renewed appreciation for the joys and achievements of your life in the same way that an artist receives renewed joy by reflecting on the beauty of one of his own paintings.

Perhaps you’ll identify weaknesses in your life. Perhaps you are distracted by short-term, less-important pleasures or even self-destructive indulgences that keep you from actions and goals that are in your long-term interest. Perhaps you’ve formed bad habits - you’ve grown lazy or unfocused. All opportunities to consider your next step.

The fourth aspect of renewal involves recognizing that you have free will to make choices. Renewal may require action, to change your path, to recondition your habits, to re-focus your priorities.

Now spring is upon us... ~j