By Barry Buzza

[Other articles by Barry Buzza]

Psychologist William Marston questioned three thousand people, "What do you have to look forward to in the new year?" The answers were quite disturbing--94 percent were simply enduring today, while they waited for the future to change everything. "Waiting for the economy to change." "Hopefully 2009 will be better." "Maybe Obama can turn things around." "When my grandma dies, I'll inherit some money and then I'll be okay." "Tomorrow has got to change my life."

The fact is that if we don't start preparing for tomorrow today, tomorrow will look much like today.

At a university there was a piano teacher who was simply and affectionately known as Herman. One evening at a piano concert put on by the university, a famous pianist became very ill in the middle of a concert. He was deep into a difficult composition, but was unable to finish it.

Before the master player had even left the stage, Herman quietly approached the stage and sat down at the Steinway piano. He completed the composition as perfectly as if it were his own.

Later that evening at a party, some of the students asked Herman how he'd been able to play that difficult piece without any notice or practice. "I did practice it", he replied, "During the war, as a budding pianist, I was arrested and placed in a Nazi prison camp. Without exaggeration, my future looked hopeless. But I understood how the mind works--in order to keep the light of hope burning in my soul, I began to practice the piano every day."

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"I started fingering through my repertoire on the headboard of my bed one evening. On the next night, I added a second piece, and in a few weeks, I was reviewing my entire repertoire. I did this every night for five years. The piece I played tonight was part of what I practiced. My constant playing on that board was what kept hope alive. Every day, I renewed my hope that I would one day be able to play my music again on a real piano, and in freedom!"

What we do and think today keeps our light of hope shining for tomorrow. Here's a lighter story along the same line.

A 40 something, nicely dressed gentleman was on a Caribbean cruise. He noticed an attractive woman, about his age, while walking the deck. Her friendly smile, which seemed to be directed at him, awakened hope. That night, at dinner, he managed to get seated at her table.

As the conversation developed, he commented that he'd appreciated her pretty smile earlier on the deck.

She responded with a bright grin, "The reason I was smiling at you today, was that when I saw you, I was immediately struck by your striking resemblance to my third husband!" When he heard this, the man brightened and asked, "That's interesting--how many times have you been married?"

She demurely looked down at her meal, coyly smiled and answered, "Twice."

May God bless you and keep your hope-light burning in 2009.

January 8/2009