After all the gifts are unwrapped and the hype from Christmas dies down New Years comes flying around the corner only a week later. With New Years comes all kinds of resolutions and new goals. A new year not only brings resolutions but many people also believe in new opportunities and new growth. People are hopeful in the New Year, believing that whatever terrible things happened in 2016 will remain in the past. People look at the New Year as a fresh start. That is why this year, there was a slogan going around on many social media platforms. On Snapchat there were several filters stating, “New year, New me”. On Instagram, Twitter, Facebook people were posting selfies and describing how this New Year will bring new beginnings and hashtagging #NewYearNewMe.
Of course I was quick to jump on board with this new slogan and even believing that this year would be a better year. Every year there is that one cynical person who states a bunch of statistics about how barely anyone sticks to their resolutions and I was set on not being that Grinch. That was until my New Year, 2017 began to suck before even reaching the second week of January. And that is when I became that Grinch. I thought to myself, “ How dumb could I have been, thinking 2017 would magically become the most amazing year after the ball dropped”. The same crap you dealt with in 2016 does not just magically disappear because you changed your calendar. There might be some situations you are in that are out of your control. As much as you would like to leave every terrible thing in 2016, sometimes you have to continue to handle unpleasant situations in 2017.
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In the same way with, “New Year, New Me”. When the ball drops and January 2017 arrives your fairy godmother does not automatically change you into a new person. Rather than saying, “New Year, New Me” I think it has to be a conscience decision you make every day to be a new person. Many people jump on the resolution train in January and think about improving themselves, and I’ll admit I’m usually the first to do the same. For me, what is going to make 2017 different than any other year will be the fact that I will make this year the best year it can be. I’m not going to wait on luck and cross my fingers saying, “Man, I hope this year will be great and bring me new opportunities”.
What I’ve learned is that life happens and terrible things happen that you cannot predict. If you want 2017 to be an amazing year, make it an amazing year. Don’t wait for opportunities to fall in your lap, go get them. Bad things might still happen, prove to yourself that you are a new person. Surprise yourself and handle the hard situations with grace and strength. So don’t let the slogan, “New Year, New Me” only be a slogan or hashtag or even a faint memory. Make it your anthem for this year and don’t forget it. Check up on it each month and make sure you are still striving to make yourself different than you were in the last year. Pick one word to describe your 2017. Say it everyday and believe it. #Triumphant2017.
