Remember this day as a fresh start. A new beginning. A clean slate. An optimistic look forward. Remember this day as a day of hope. A day of unlimited possibilities. A day of immeasurable potential. Remember this day as an occasion to learn. A day to improve. A day to get things right.
Remember this day as an opportunity to make a positive difference in someone’s life. A day to have a lasting positive impact on those you come in contact with. A day to lead by example.
Remember this day is a symbol. Because this day, this moment, and every moment that follows is an opportunity to not only be the type of person you want to be, but the type of person you want to be remembered as.
This day is not just a fresh start that comes but once a year, it comes every day — every moment you exist. This day is your life. And this day and all the days that follow are your legacy.
No one has more of an impact on this day and every day that follows in your life than you do. Make it a good one.
As one year ends and another begins, let us move forward with an open mind, an open heart, and enduring hope for the wondrous possibilities that lie before us.
But let us do so wisely and without blinders on.
Because although the year ahead may be great, it will not be without its challenges. We will be tested in ways we cannot foresee. But with every challenge comes an opportunity for us to demonstrate our strength, patience, tolerance, and resolve.
Every surprise that the coming year has in store for us is an opportunity to show that we’ve grown. That we’re stronger. And that we are ever bridging the gap between the person we are and the person we wish to be.
Let us remember that it is through the process of overcoming challenges that we develop strength. And that every time we face temptation, heartache, friction, or failure it is an opportunity for us to act in ways that we can be proud of.
No matter what life has in store for us, let this be a year of love, encouragement, and forgiveness — of others and ourselves.
Let it see us act bravely, boldly, and taking consistent action towards our goals. Let it see us correct our bad habits and add to our good ones — making us healthier, happier, and more capable of living the kind of life we desire. Let is see us push forward into the new year knowing that we are not only capable of handling every adversity that lies ahead, we can do so in a way that makes us better.
And because we know that life isn’t always easy, let us remember to not just be there for those that we know, but also for those that we don’t.
May you be brave enough to take on and overcome rewarding challenges. May you find yourself in high spirits & excellent health. May you love with all your heart and find peace in even the most turbulent of times.
May the love you give find its way back to you. And may you forever be filled with the hope & strength necessary to make your dreams a reality.
May your coming days be filled with memorable moments and positive life experiences. May you find the strength and determination to overcome challenges and persevere through tough times. May you find pleasure in simple things and encounter love & joy in unexpected places. May you leave the world a better place for having been a part of it.
And may you not only have a great day, may you help make it great for those you encounter.
You’ve just been handed your life in its current state.
Your health, your skills, your relationships, your job, your education, everything.
So looking at your life today, what is it you want to change?
What is it you want to get better at?
What bad habits do you want to break?
What good habits do you want to adopt?
Does your current life accurately reflect your values of today or are you filling your schedule with activities you would no longer choose to do if you had the chance to start over?
Has your life become cluttered with possessions you no longer value as much as you once did or no longer use?
Make a note of your answers to these questions and redirect your aim and attention to what you want to improve in your life even if it means changing direction.
Let go of the things that are simply taking up space and time and no longer serve you.
The more that you incorporate things that you truly value into your life — from knowledge to skills to people to activities — the more value you not only bring to your own life, the more value you bring to the people and places you encounter on a daily basis.
Remember to start small to keep things manageable. The commitment necessary to consistently making the time to do something new can be just as important as what you choose to do with that time.
People often attempt to do too much before they’re capable of sustaining it or before their body or mental state is ready.
If it’s been a while since you’ve done something physical, it’s likely that doing far less of that activity than you can physically do will leave you sorer than you imagine.
Too many people make the mistake of testing their physical limits on day one of their new workout routine and then put themselves out of commission for several days because they’re too sore to continue. If you don’t want to immediately set yourself back, consider doing less than you feel capable of and then ramping up based on how you feel the next day.
It’s also important to keep in mind that a large part of physical health is dependent on a person’s diet.
And while it’s important to consider both physical and dietary changes, the same concept applies — attempting to do too much, too soon can be unsustainable.
Keep this in mind as you move forward with your intentions to make life-altering changes.
And when it comes to your mental and physical health, be sure to consult a paid professional when necessary.
Please let me be the type of person who I would respect & admire if I saw them in action. Let me greet each new day as another opportunity to get things right. Let me be open to thinking about things in ways I haven’t thought about them before. Let me find ways to make a positive difference in the world, no matter how small, and act upon them when I am able.
Let me be open to the challenge of change. Let me not shy away from things just because they are difficult. Let me face my fears and do things I would like to do even when they make me nervous. Let me be generous with what I have to give away. Let me remember to be grateful for every second that I get to make choices in my life and act upon them.
Let me make at least one person’s day brighter by having been a part of it. Let me accept my mistakes as learning experiences. Let me learn to love myself, flaws and all. Let me not care so much what others think. And let me be confident in my ability to succeed.
There can be power in working towards goals without sharing them. But at the same time, if you don’t achieve a goal, it’s not very likely to be because you told someone you had it. You’re the one that needs to keep yourself honest, not other people.
Your goals should be important enough to you to achieve regardless of whether you tell people you have them or not.
Bad habits override new behaviors the moment one starts catering to their short-term comfort instead of being mindful of their long-term goals.
You won’t get what you want most by always rewarding yourself with what you want the moment you want it.
Old bad habits always override new set #goals whenever new goals aren’t prioritized clearly.
I’ve seen a lot of posts on social networks this morning basically saying “Good riddance to the last year!” and how it was a “crappy” year.
A crappy year?
While the past 365 days may have been challenging in many ways [I originally wrote this in 2012 and this statement has remained true for every year since — coincidence?], I think it’s important to remember that it is our attitude that helps dictate how we feel about what’s going on in our lives. And if we’re alive, with a roof over our heads, a meal to eat, and still able to make decisions in our lives, then we actually have it pretty good. A large number of people in the world don’t even have their basic needs taken care of — and our lives, no matter how difficult they may get at times, often beat the alternatives.
Life isn’t always easy — but it helps if you remember that obstacles in your path are there to test you and to help you grow. It is by overcoming obstacles that you develop new skills and new ways of handling what the rest of your life has in store for you. If you’d never had a problem in your life, you wouldn’t be very able to deal with — well LIFE, would you?
“Smooth seas don’t make skilled sailors.” — African Proverb
I don’t know (many) adults who still cry when they drop their ice-cream cones.
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” — Zig Ziglar
Every year from the year we were born, our challenges change to reflect what’s going on in our lives (and the world). And they often increase in difficulty as we continue to evolve from one year to the next. Some things are within our control to change — other things are not — but what we always have control over is our attitude.
Many of the challenges we face in our teens are often not the same as when we are in our 20’s, 30’s and beyond. And while much of this can certainly be attributed to changes in our environment, careers & social status, at least some of it can be attributed to the life skills we’ve (hopefully) picked up along the way: Confidence, communication, organization, responsibility, and the ability to weather storms. We learn how to cope.
I think the movie Stepbrothers, which involves two 39-year-old “children” still living at home, highlights an issue with not having learned the skills necessary to push forward into the next phases of life…
Warning: Profanity
If you want to be the very best you can be, then realize that challenges and contrast are a good thing and an opportunity for growth. And it is how you choose to react to those challenges that allows you to build your character and become a stronger person. Challenges are always an opportunity to reveal who you really are.
You don’t have to let the little things get you down — you don’t even have to let the big things get you down. Others may still complain about how awful or unfair or difficult life is, but you don’t have to be like that. Rather than focus on your problems, you can focus on how you’re going to overcome those problems — and have confidence that you’ll be able to do so.
Yes, it can certainly help to have a friend to confide in, vent to, or discuss your burden(s) — but it also helps to focus on what you’re going to do to overcome those burdens.
Which would you rather listen to:
1) a friend complain about how awful something in their life is or
2) the same friend explain something they’re dealing with and how they’re going to overcome it.
In the case of 2, they may even admit that they don’t know what they’re going to do, but if they explain their issues and express the fact they know that they will somehow find a way through them, it changes the entire tone of the conversation.
It’s the difference between “This is hard and life sucks!” and “This is hard, but I will get through this.” is a big one.
Would you rather the attention you receive be from people expressing how they “feel sorry” for you or would you rather the attention you receive from people be how they respect your attitude and ability to cope with what you’re dealing with.
You can decide right now that no matter what the next year has in store for you, that you are up to the challenge of handling everything to the best of your ability — and in the most positive way possible.
“I think the thing to do is to enjoy the ride while you’re on it.” — Johnny Depp
Yes, mistakes will be made — as they almost always are anytime we encounter something new — but every mistake is also a learning experience. It is by developing the skills needed to overcome challenges that help us show who we really are.
