2017 is finally upon us. With every new year, comes a new opportunity to change, to better yourself and to grow. People always take it upon themselves to make promises or "new year's resolutions" that usually include the cliché, health conscious decisions of losing weight or stop smoking or maybe to improve something about themselves or the world around them. Don't get me wrong, those are great things to strive for, but how often do we actually follow through?

A lot of us are motivated simply at the excitement of change. However, very few of us remain dedicated. So many individuals open up gym memberships only to cancel them a month later or the promise of better habits and attitudes are broken by the darkness of our old ways. We are human and change takes time; maybe more so than the 365 page blank novels we are told to write. That's why I believe New Year's resolutions are unnecessary. It's a nice thought, but it's kind of like celebrating Valentine's Day. You don't need a specific day out of the year to display your love for someone, so why believe that you need a special occasion to declare some sort of positive or necessary alteration in your life? That's something I'd rather sought after everyday, whether it be January 1st or July 1st.

Your life should not be measured in the amount of years you spent but rather the moments you lived, the emotions you felt and how you've grown since the time you made your debut on this earth. There's no reason for you to wait for the year to end in order for you to begin a clean slate. I don't look at things like a 365 page book but rather a 27, 375 page novel with all the glory of it's twist, turns, character development, the times that make us cry and the times that make us laugh or smile. All the years are connected, and the beginning of a year isn't always an indication of a new chapter. Some of our chapter's are longer than others. Some of our chapters may begin in the middle with a new job promotion, a new marriage or birth/death, embarking on new adventures of an outside world or leaving for college. Whatever it may be, let 2017 and all the years to follow come to you and continue the path for which you set yourself on. Don't just have a happy New Year, have a happy life.