Whenever we change the year, titles rain down with the expression: “New year, new life”. It is the desire for change that speaks loudly, but there are other Portuguese sayings that fit perfectly at this time of renovation. only the most recent mention the presence of the adage New year, new life. What is certain is that the sentence quickly became widespread knowledge, being widely used both by the media and by people in general when defining their wishes for the year to begin.More than a wish, the phrase implies a commitment: change your life or, at least, change some specific aspect of your life. Who uses the phrase, probably, judged itself to be below expectations when it made its annual balance sheet. The refrain seems to contain a certain feeling of guilt – for a failed expectation, a failed attempt –, which provokes a desire for radical change. Yes, in the new year, everything will be different; Let’s turn life upside down! Gym three times a week, food care, spending less on superfluous things…
Don’t forget what you did well
There are, however, other sayings that we can call into use at this stage of the calendar and that perhaps even sound a little less totalitarian. After all, was it all so bad that we had to start a new life? On the swings, it will also be convenient to remember what was done well. Positive reinforcement can work wonders. Therefore, “Neither 8 nor 80”. There are always things we can improve on, but it is important not to forget the solid foundations that we have already built. Placing all hopes on a future yet to be fulfilled can easily generate some frustration, when the stipulated goals are not reached; fortunately, the The present is full of opportunities to continue to do well or to do even better.. And in this look at the horizon, it is important not to forget that the past can contain important lessons. Also read: 2023: A saving tip for each month
A suffering past equals a victory
In the collection of “Portuguese adages reduced to Common Places”, compiled in 1651 by Prior António Delicado, the analysis of the past gains importance in two adages: “You want to see what is to come, look at the past” and “By the thread you will remove the yarn and by the past what is to come”. That is, the time that has passed generates the experience of life. Was the year particularly difficult? Well then, the very fact of carrying out a balance sheet consists, in itself, in a kind of victory. “Who suffers, wins” (or, if we want to put it in the present tense: “who suffers, wins”). And in this winning life, valuable memories and experiences are gained: “What is hard to go through, is sweet to remember” .For those who have taken the vows of a new life, let us recall a centuries-old recipe: “Perseverance achieves everything”. the hunger to the basket nor with all the thirst to the pot”. Calm down, then. Moderately. Step by step. With regularity. Especially because “With time and patience, much can be achieved”, is also said in the “Collecção de Proverbs, Adagios, Rifões, Anexins, Moral Sentences and Idiotisms by Lingoa Portugueza”.
Beautiful proverbs never get old
In this compilation of Proverbs and the like, made by Paulo Perestrello da Câmara and edited in 1848, beautiful justifications are presented for we continue to resort to popular expressions, without fear of falling into idiocy. First, because “The maxims are like figures, which comprise great values in a few letters”. Then, because “There is no old saying, if you say it by the way”. Regardless of popular wisdom, what is certain is that a year has passed and another has begun. Will everything be different? Or all the same? “Time is the clock of life, or the master of everything”. When December arrives, we will not escape the temptation to evaluate past months and set goals for future months. Until then, we’d like to remain immersed in Perestrello da Câmara’s reading of one of the most beautiful adagios in his collection; in this new year, that “there is no fear, move forward, courage and fortune”. What is the proverb that suggests so much to the author?Vogue a galé, come what may.Also read: Financial proverbs: what popular sayings say about money 
Paulo M. Morais grew up playing street football and listening to proverbs told by his grandmothers. He graduated in Social Communication and specialized in the areas of cinema, videogames and gastronomy. He is the author of novels and non-fiction books. He collects board games and continues to watch many movies. He likes to cook, look at the sea, read.