The possibility of anew is abundant and intoxicating through the start of a new year. New Years Resolutions; difficult to keep but perpetually attractive. The idea of "turning over a new leaf" brings life and an infusion of possibility to an otherwise unimportant winter day. The opportunity to do everything properly this time and amend the mistakes made in pervious years sparks courage to try again, to continue to put ourselves out there.

It is this same reason buying school supplies each year brought so much excitement towards a new beginning. New highlighters and fine point pens emphasized the fresh cleanness we were assuming through a new school year. Hope springs eternal - human life needs optimism to be able to succeed. Visions of success facilitate recovery. If falling down and experiencing the hurt of failure kept us down we would not have the great modern inventions of our time or any sculptures in Greece when the marble initially cracked.

I have found that the key to being able to handle the punches life throws is to find new opportunities to have this same experience of hopefulness. There is no need to wait for an annual trip to Staples or for the ball to drop in New York City; the opportunity to invite this feeling is possible each morning.

Allowing the drive we feel surrounding these bouts of "new" in our lives to be something we experience and embrace regularly is the catalyst to success. Each "new" comes tethered to the possibility of "better". Having each morning feel like something new makes this platform to improve and hold ourselves to a higher standard a regular part of our existence. Allow optimism to be a part of your morning routine just like washing your face or brushing your teeth.

If we treated each morning like the morning after New Years Eve (minus the champagne headaches!) we would be providing ourselves with an incredible space to grow as people. New Years Resolutions has nothing to do with the date that it falls on with and everything to do with the way it makes us feel. We have power to control what controls us.

When optimism permeates each facet of our life we are allowing ourselves to get comfortable with the experience of hopefulness. It is through this that self empowerment and reassurance are born. Knowing that if you fall, standing up and trying again can and will happen creates room to take chances you might otherwise shy away from.

Empowerment comes from so many different places, but forgiveness in yourself for not succeeding at first allows dawns of new to bring us courage to try again and eventually stick the landing.