New. What does that mean? You might be thinking that's a ridiculous question, but is it... really? It's obviously not old, so that means it's new! Good, we're back where we started. What does "new" mean to you?

Each December, we are faced with the thought that the year is coming to a close and a "new" year is starting in just a couple days. Parties are thrown, people enjoy themselves, they make resolutions--or at least think about resolutions--and the second that the clock strikes midnight, a whole "new" year begins. Sometimes it feels as though the second that the "new" year begins, the entire past year is just a cloud of dust. Sorry folks, that's not the case.

Some say that 2016 was a terrible year, and while yes, it had its ups and downs, so did every other year that came before it. Can anyone honestly look back and say that *insert year here* was a stellar year; a perfect year? It could have been events that happened in a nation or something that affected a huge number of people, or it could be a smaller event: the death of a family member, a difficult job loss, a failing grade on a test or in a class. Whatever it was, something happened that left a bad taste about that year. But while there are negatives throughout the year, there are also positive things that happened. Maybe you received the job offer of a lifetime, maybe you aced that really difficult final exam, or maybe, just maybe, you woke up without having to hit the snooze button 70 times.

It seems as though people get so wrapped up in the big events that they forget the little things that make the difficult moments just a little bit better. I'm not saying that the little moments will make everything fine and dandy again, but at least they can do a little to make your moments better. Your life is filled with many opportunities and blessings that are sometimes easy to take for granted. Try not to waste the opportunity to make someone smile. Try not to waste the opportunity to help someone else. Try not to waste the opportunity to keep pushing forward through the each up, down, and everything in between.

As this new year begins, think about trying to remain positive amid all the negative moments. I'm not saying it will be easy; I'll be working on this too. Take advantage of this "new" year, this fresh start, this "new" beginning. Don't forget the past, for from the past, you grow. Take what happened in your life in 2016 and use it to grow in 2017. Use your experiences, don't loose them.