Hopes for the Future

"The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present".  This is what Hobbes (of the Calvin & Hobbes cartoon team) said in the strip I read today while munching on a peanut butter lunch.

Wise words, indeed.  Plans will stay perfect if left alone.  Intentions are noble when they don't hit the ground.  Reality, our good intentions and well crafted plans, well, they sometimes do not go hand in hand. 

Cynical? Practical?  But consider this:  how many New Year's resolutions have really come true?  As soon as the last firecracker was lit, there goes whatever we promised ourselves to do.  So I guess, Hobbes' comment was more apropos that anything else - let the future stand still.

I'm writing this while 2011 is still new and I'm not swamped yet with a lot of things.  But also as a way to reckon when end of 2011 comes  - if I was really able to do something, or at least, write something this year.

What do I hope for in 2011?  Let's see.  In a general sense, I hope that whatever the future holds for me, I could be up to it.  And in more ways than one, enjoying it. 

For the Ginete family, I hope that we are finally able to see a leader who can marshal all our resources and abilities into a single flame that shines for all and burns no one.  I guess we all need this in our family.  While we go on with our lives, we get inspired by the thought of a leader brave enough to overcome our limitations as a group and wise enough to let everyone realize his/her potentials.

For each one of us in the family, I hope we live true to our desires, never losing track of what brings us together and what positively sets us apart from the rest.  While comparing brings out one's vanity, it is always good to have something to bank on - a brand proposition in marketing parlance.

While it is technically just another day, the beginning of the year always forces us to reflect on what we've done and what else do we need to do.  2010 has shown that many of our elders have passed on; that a new generation of Ginete's is now in-charge.  So I hope that in this "passing of the torch", as they say, we don't forget to look back as we move forward.

As a Filipino, I hope that do things I could be proud of, not just because it touches my ego but proud because of the concrete value I add to the things I do.  Be better at doing my job, for instance.  Be better at understanding people and helping bridge gaps between people.  Be more responsible for my own welfare and happiness. 

So I think that while Hobbes may be complaining of the future always turning into the present, there's also that hope and optimism that this future is always better, moving forward and mindful of the past.

What's your hope for 2011?