New year, new hopes, new beginnings...

As we experience the final moments of 2024, we are feeling both the sadness of bidding farewell to the old year and the excitement of welcoming the new one. Although the major tragedies that have occurred both in our country and across the world recently have drained everyone's life energy, a small glimmer of hope emerges within many of us during the final days of the year. This is because, by nature, humans want to believe that things will get better, to dream, and to see those dreams come true. And for this, the new year is a great opportunity!

The new year is not just a change on the calendar; it is also a symbol of hopes, dreams, beginnings, and goals. For many of us, the new year is an opportunity to cleanse ourselves of the mistakes of the past and take a more hopeful and determined step into the future. The new year is a historical novelty, a fresh start, and this beginning does not always have to be magical or perfect!

For every year, every era, and every time has its own unique challenges, obstacles, complexities, and similar ways of feeling and thinking. At this point, I am always reminded of the German word I love very much, "zeitgeist," which is generally translated into Turkish as "the spirit of the times." This concept, used to express that people living in the same time period have similar ways of feeling and thinking, no matter how different they may seem or even be from one another, took on a philosophical understanding, especially under the influence of Hegel. The inevitable relationship between time, humanity, and the world is the focus of Khalil Gibran just as much as it is for Hegel. While Khalil Gibran says in his poem On Time in The Prophet that time is indivisible and unmeasurable, is there not a similar perception in the lines of his contemporary Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar: "I am neither inside of time / Nor entirely outside of it / In the indivisible flow of a single, vast moment"?

Of course, these examples and names could be multiplied; what matters is the bond we establish with the time we live in. The stronger the bond we establish with time, the stronger the bond we establish with life. How can a solid bond be established with life by lamenting the passing of time or by constantly thinking about the future and missing the present?

In my opinion, one of the most correct things we can do to maintain the balance of life in the bond we establish with time is not to keep our expectations for the new year too high, to be realistic, and to be aware of our potential. The new year will offer us new opportunities, just like a new day dawning; however, it is in our hands to evaluate these opportunities, learn from our mistakes, and set new goals.

The new year does not only offer individual opportunities; it also offers opportunities for social change and innovation. As societies leave the old year behind, they dream of a better world, a more peaceful society, and a more just life for the coming year. With these thoughts, people wish each other well and adopt a more positive and tolerant approach. The fresh start brought by the new year has the power to carry not only personal but also social hope, and hope can overcome many obstacles!

I wish you all a healthy, happy, and hopeful year in advance! "... Let your today embrace the past with memories and the future with longing!" (Khalil Gibran, The Prophet).