After inquiring a very extensive and bewildering conversation with close acquaintances of mine, I have finally inherited an important message I feel obligated to share with everyone here. Being a writer, we have a role in this community and that is to ignite passions, report new findings, and cover topics that seem unbearable to talk about. With the Holidays here, New Year's is always the big talk of them all. Majority of human beings feel obligated to fulfill their inner desires of a New Year's resolution. For the vast majority of the population, that's the idea of losing weight, volunteering more around the local community, becoming more cautious of food intake, starting a new habit that they haven't inquired yet, and sometimes even the most simplistic of things like being more kind or thoughtful to yourself and others. We all have a list of our own that suits our needs and personal aspirations.

But the biggest one that has stuck with me is eating right and working out. Sitting across from my dearest friend at my kitchen table, I kept listening to the words flowing out of his mouth. As he kept speaking I noticed that all of his phrases were entailed to the same concept and focal point, losing weight. He kept talking about this idea of starting a new diet for the new year ahead of us. But as he started to get hungry, I offered up some options that I eat myself, but instead he went straight towards the bowl of plain pasta in my fridge, which was quite ironic considering the fact that he just told me it was going to be a no carb, no sugar, or fruit diet. So as I looked at him with a confused look on my face and questioned what he was doing, I asked him, "Wait didn't you just say you're trying to lose weight?"

But instead, he responds with, "no, no, that doesn't start until January first, so I can eat whatever I want until then,"

I was completely baffled by that sentence. It is like he's trying to gain weight, then lose it all after the Holidays, which doesn't make sense to me. Diets can be extreme and usually the day after New Year's is recognized as the busiest day of the entire year for workout facilities and that's because people feel the need to fulfill their New Year's resolution, which typically only last about two weeks.

As we look into dieting as a whole, most of the time right after New Year's, people tend to gravitate towards a very drastic and life-changing diet to give them the self-satisfaction that they need. Most of which are a no carb, no sugar, no coffee diet. So what exactly are they eating? Just a bowl of spinach topped with some tomatoes and almonds, well that doesn't sound satisfying at all even for a vegan myself.

Over the past couple of years, I have seen a lot of friends go through drastic changes in their bodies, but typically by inheriting these obscene diets that typically lead to eating disorders. I am not saying that there are not healthy ways of dieting but typically people have the saying go hard or go home so they push their bodies to the max and don't think about the overall effect later on. Our bodies may look amazing on the outside, but on the inside, our organs and overall bodily function is suffering from extreme distress. New Year's resolutions shouldn't be drastically focused on achieving that one body type you see all over social media platforms. New Year's shouldn't be an excuse to start eating healthy. Diets are not the answer, diets are only a short period of time and typically it takes several months to acquire the habit you're trying to undergo. Your health shouldn't be looked passed upon for months, your health should be your priority at all times. People need to start understanding that it is a lifestyle. A lifestyle that you live by and lifestyles give you the flexibility to give you the time to eat what you want, but in moderation. Working out shouldn't be a two-week thing, working out should be a daily task that you complete at least 4 times a week.

So, as your New Year's resolutions start making it way around the corner, think about what you're about to write down. New Year's resolutions should be about making positive changes in one's life, maybe it will be to volunteer more at the rescue center, or finally reaching out to old friends of yours, traveling to somewhere you haven't been before, finally starting that book you've always wanted to read, or even something simple like giving more hugs to the people you love.

That's what the next year should be about.

Time to stop putting our bodies through such extreme distress. Let this new year be the time to change something positive in your life. Think it through and be specific on what you want to achieve for the next year. 2019 is full of an infinite amount of possibilities but it is ultimately up to you to decide what path you'll enter or crossover, may the journey lie in your hands.

Happy holidays and happy new year. Let this new year be the year of new findings and dreams coming alive.