2017 is finally here! It is finally the end of the reign of 2016, the dark year. Now that evil emperor has been toppled by the forces of justice in order to instill a new age, an age of wisdom, or that’s at least how many of us would hope the new year is. I’ll be honest, from a culture standpoint, 2016 sucked. Between celebrity deaths to the elections, 2016 has shaken the pot, upset all of the apple carts, spilled all of the milk and yes, stole candy from a baby. Yet, we are all still here.

With the new year already a couple weeks in, there is bound to be pounds of negativity thrown at us, albeit internally and externally. What can we do against this new threat? Well, have you heard the phrase “new year, new me?” It’s a common phrase people like to throw around at the beginning of a new year in order to “motivate” themselves to change some aspect(s) of their life. Many of us fail to follow through with our New Year’s resolutions (including myself who has wanted to learn how to play the guitar for the past few years). Well, I’m here to tell you, it’s time to change.

Change? I don’t want to change, I hear some of you saying. Change is not a bad thing. In fact, we are constantly changing every day. Like a river running across the land. Day by day, year by year, the water slowly erodes the earth beneath it. After all, how do you think valleys were created? The point being, change can be good. Now is the time to look at yourself in a mirror and recall who you were one year prior. What motivated you in life? What defined you as a person? What has changed in your life since then? For me, something that has changed is my social life. I’m no longer in a relationship yet I’ve made so many friends during 2016. Something else that changed for me is the fact that I graduate in May, so my work ethic has changed dramatically to ensure a solid education upon graduation. And you know what? The results paid off.

Change doesn’t have to be life-changing. It can be as simple as making your bed every day and making sure there is no clutter on the floor. Something like that can impact the amount of stress you feel after a long day. One big change that we all can make is to be a little nicer to our neighbor. Not your actual neighbor, but just another human being. With so much negativity in the world, a simple greeting or “have a nice day” can brighten someone’s day. Or notice something about someone and ask a question about it. Be curious. And to those who receive these questions, play along. It’s just curiosity. There’s nothing wrong with a desire to know something about someone.

In the end, the year and your role in it is in your hands. The year can be as bright or as dark as you want to make it. My advice? Smile. It can go a long way.

"Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts." -- Paramahansa Yogananda