A New Year has Sprung

Happy New Year. It's a standard greeting we say leading up and at the turn of a new year. But are we selling ourselves a false promise? What makes us believe that this year will be happy? Will it be better or even any different from the one that came before? So often we go through our daily motions, living according to a roster or patterns or other people's demands on our time and not really taking time to make a moment count. Then, we come to the end of a year and suddenly our focus is on all the things we didn't quite do or how we are going to implement a new life choice into our already somewhat overcrowded existence. Along with the turn of another year is the countdown for all the promises we make to ourselves. Things we plan to do better, changes we plan to instigate, resolutions we plan to stick with. It's a whole new world and a whole new clean slate. We fool ourselves into thinking that "this will be THE year that everything changes." But nothing changes if we don't.

New Year Resolutions often fail because we don't ensure they succeed. We expect that thinking about something will be enough. It isn't. We can't create a world we want by just thinking about it. Dreams and imagination are vital to us all. Without them, we surely perish. But a life built in dreams cannot sustain us. If you want something to change in your life, it isn't enough to just think about it. Of even just talk about it (Or write about it for that matter.) Our life changes because (and when) WE make changes. Change comes from DOING; not from lip service. We all know at least one person who talks a big talk, but doesn't back up what they say with action (We are often guilty of that crime ourselves.) Words, strung together into a coherent sentence can be beguiling. I am a writer. Words are my passion, but words are easily spoken, and easily broken. There is an expression about "A man is his word." Reality is, is that a man is his deed. Words mean nothing if that is all they remain and never bear fruit.

Looking back over the past year, I can see the progresses I've made, along with the ruts I've stayed stuck in. I've changed in many ways, but I have a long road ahead. This year will no doubt bring new challenges, fresh heartbreak, renewed friendships and salvaged dreams. It can be whatever I make of it. Some things will fall outside of my control. But I have control over many of the things that will crop up in the coming days, months and year ahead. So here is one of my resolutions for the coming year- I resolve to do more and think less. This is a big challenge for me because I am very much a thinker. I spend a lot of time lost in the avenues of my mind. As a writer, my thinking is action put to paper. But this year, I want to be a person, not just of thought, but of deed. I want to follow through on some of my ideas, my hopes and dreams and ambitions. I want to do, not just be. So you bear witness to this resolution. The proof will be in the doing, not just in merely a current thought shared here. Here's to a new year filled with opportunities, challenges and change.