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Featured in: Baha'i Naw-Ruz
Every year Baha’is from all over the world and of all cultural backgrounds celebrate Naw-Ruz, the beginning of a new year in the Baha’i Calendar. Naw-Ruz marks the end of the 19-day Baha’i Fast, which is a period of reflection and profound spiritual reinvigoration. Naw-Ruz is a celebration of a “spiritual springtime” that symbolizes both individual renewal and mankind’s revitalization.
As I join Baha’is around the world in celebrating the Baha’i New Year known as Naw-Ruz, the last month of the Baha’i Calendar just before Naw-Ruz is the fasting period for Baha’is, and it was a perfect time for me to reflect on, and plan, what goals I want to set myself for the new year.
As we are encouraged by the Universal House of Justice to adopt a humble posture of learning — learning which takes place through prayer, planning, action and reflection — I thought I would create a list of questions to ask myself in order to help me reflect on and plan my own personal New Year resolutions.
I’ve decided to share this list of questions in case it may be of any use to you, (and I’ve left out my answers), but I’d love to hear about the questions you’ve been asking yourself, and/or what learnings you’ve had over the last year and how you hope to work on them if you think it would be appropriate to share (keeping in mind that it’s not about confessions of course). You can leave your comments in the ‘Comments’ section found at the bottom of this article.
Here’s the list:
1. Am I approaching my service activities with a ‘humble posture of learning’?
2. In what ways can I improve my study of the Writings and the Plans and letters of the Universal House of Justice?
3. Am I contributing to the Plan set before us by the House of Justice and exerting the “herculean labour”1 needed to achieve these goals?
4. Am I ensuring that my conversations are elevated and meaningful?
5. Is there anything that I’ve started and really need to finish this year?
6. How can I personally help strengthen and support the activities in my community?
7. What are my plans to accompany others in my neighborhood and the activities I’m engaged in?
8. How can I incorporate the idea of prayer, planning, action and reflection into not only my Baha’i activities, but into my personal life as well?
9. What are some of the major learnings I’ve had over the last year?
10. What character flaw do I really need to work on and improve this year?
11. What strengths in my character can I use more effectively?
12. Am I being systematic in my service?
13. Is there anyone whom I may have offended or need to repair or strengthen relations with?
14. How am I celebrating the efforts of others and fostering a culture of encouragement?
15. How can I continue to build capacity within myself and amongst those I interact and serve with?
16. How can I improve the quality of those activities I’m engaged in?
17. In what ways can I try to ensure that I am living a coherent life?
18. How can I improve on maintaining my relationship with the Covenant and my relationship with God?
19. How can I practice being more grateful?
Okay that’s my list and I hope this helps.
When I have answered these questions I ask myself “What do my answers say about my priorities?”
What questions have you been asking yourself?
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I ask myself most if not all these questions if not many others everyday since I became a Baha’i in 2009.
Anne Turner (March 3, 2016 at 5:03 PM)
Thank you for sharing this wonderful list that you have so thoughtfully and lovingly put together, Will certainly be sharing and using this!
Thank you.
Sean
sean (March 3, 2016 at 7:07 PM)
This is really great, Naysan. Thank you.
Leili Towfigh (March 3, 2016 at 7:36 PM)
Thank you Leili! Really appreciate that!
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2016 at 6:03 AM)
Thank you for your message and encouragement Sean. So glad you’ve found it useful. 🙂
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2016 at 6:04 AM)
Dear Naysan,
With the new letter from UHJ I am now asking, what untapped potential do I see? Do we see collectively?
Moneshia (December 12, 2020 at 12:31 PM)
That’s so great to hear Anne. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2016 at 6:05 AM)
These questions are really great Naysan, thank you for sharing them with us. I will translate them into german and also share them with some of the friends during our study of the Message of the Universal House of Justice to the Counselors. With loving Baha’i greetings, Paula
Paula van den Boogaart (March 3, 2016 at 12:03 PM)
Thank you Paula, I’m glad to hear that. 🙂
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2016 at 3:14 PM)
Naysan, I love your clarity and conciseness, it is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED, not to mention your services, of course. The question I ask myself most is ” How meaningful is this moment to my soul and to my ego?” loving greetings, Elda
Elda Di Lorenzo (March 3, 2016 at 9:56 PM)
Thank you Elda for sharing, and thank you for your kind and encouraging words. 🙂
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2016 at 10:21 PM)
I felt overjoyed when i discoverd dis blog.it realy help strengthen me in the faith again ever since i lost contact with all my nigerian bahai friends ~late mr adewoye,felix itete,azamat olootu,mr&mrs charly/matha german
julius ajewole (March 3, 2016 at 6:02 AM)
This is amazing Neysan, it is apparent that during personal reflection, such questions arise but to be sincere, i never thought of breaking them in such an elaborate way and possibly think of answers to them. This is quite something for us to think in a systematic way.My mostly asked question during this fasting was “how do i develop necessary qualities and attutudes to befittingly serve in the capacity am currently serving?”
Linnet Sifuna (March 3, 2016 at 3:31 PM)
Hi Linnet, thank you so much for sharing and I’m so glad you’ve found this useful. My mom actually printed it out for herself and answered the questions too. 🙂
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2016 at 6:04 PM)
Naysan thank you so much for this list of questions. It will surely help a Baha’i to ponder and reflect every New Year. Happy Naw Ruz!
Criselda R. Figuerres (March 3, 2017 at 8:58 PM)
I have the great grace, because my housekeeper is well known with Bahai in England, Australia. She has wonderful Baha’i friends in England. She is Muslim but knows the scriptures of Baha’u’llah. I can not describe in words what wonderful life I experience every day with this family. We absolutely live in very great love for each other the Baha’i faiths. But they are not yet Baha’i. I am allowed to teach this dear family again and again. They love all religions. I am the happiest Baha’i in the world every day with my domestic help. They are a great gift to me Baha’u’llah s. We do not celebrate a New Year
Margrit Rita Hurni (January 1, 2019 at 8:51 AM)
I can now read and write the different languages better and better. It is going very well. My dear home helps me learn Arabic. Since I am old but learn very fast, these are not a problem for me. I just write how it works in the hope that God will help me to understand the different languages. Also the Sinti and Roma. Baha’i faith makes great, great joy every day. Thank you my beloved Baha’u’llah
Margrit Rita Hurni (January 1, 2019 at 9:00 AM)
thanks My dear Naysan very much so 1000x Rita in Bern
Margrit Rita Hurni (January 1, 2019 at 9:02 AM)
What I wanted to say to you dear Naysan: my domestic help is also a certified music teacher at the Bern Conservatory. But finds no job because of the age. Why did the city of Bern hire Ms. Cinar Mir as a domestic help? So we fit together very well. We have the same education. She knows all the scriptures. Hired as a domestic help. So we fit together very well. We have the same education. She knows all the scriptures. Jeden Tag Naw- Ruz
Margrit Rita Hurni (January 1, 2019 at 9:45 AM)
For the first time after being a Bahai for more than half a century I have come across your blog, dear Naysan and I must say that it surely is not by accident! God, Who is closer than “your life-vein has plans for us. If you go to this link, you will know what I have been doing for the last many years:
27-3-19
Click on the link below to read today’s daily message
https://www.facebook.com/spiritualhighway
Do you think that we can together reach out to the world to share the Cause of God?
M.M. Sreenivasan (March 3, 2019 at 1:38 AM)
Hi M.M. Sreenivasan, thanks for the message and I’m glad you’ve discovered Baha’i Blog and I hope you like it. Please feel free to email me at: [email protected]
Naysan Naraqi (March 3, 2019 at 9:45 AM)