It’s that time of year where everyone, with the best of intentions, is making New Year’s Resolutions. Promises to themselves to change for the better, setting themselves personal goals or using this time as a chance to reflect on the year that has passed.
For some it’s been a great time filled with joy, laughter and good fortune. While others have had a year full of struggle laced with tears and heartbreak. Some of us have had people to share in the good times, to turn to when things have been bad but for those less fortunate they’ve had no-one in either instance.
I won’t dwell on our own circumstances and events over the last twelve months but some of it has been eye opening but also brought a renewed sense of perspective. The reality is that life is short and no matter who you are and what hand life deals you, it’s what you do with what you have that matters. It doesn’t matter whether you are rich or poor, working or not, are healthy or not – but make the most of every moment that you can.
Don’t *think* about making that all-important “bucket list”. Make one today then go about working through it. It doesn’t matter how big or small things are on it – your list doesn’t have to be packed full of daredevil escapades but as long as it’s something that *you* want to do, put it down and make it happen.
Have friends you haven’t spoken to or emailed for a while? Contact them. Don’t lose touch with people. Being friends doesn’t mean you have to be in constant contact with someone every day or even every week – sometimes you can go months without speaking – but don’t forget people completely.
Do something positive every day. You don’t have to try to change the world single handed but we can ALL try to make the world a better place. Whether it’s donating unwanted items to a friend, neighbour or charity shop, making a financial contribution to a charity, helping a stranger, just doing something helpful for a friend or family member or just doing something – even spending time with friends and family bringing joy to others… something that will make you feel good about yourself afterwards.
Less hate, more understanding. It’s very easy for disagreements to break out online and become hostile often between complete strangers. It’s not worth it and just causes stress including those around reading it. Leave the conversation or talk around the other – be the better person. Tolerance is important as well – we can often be judgemental of others without cause as they can of us. No one appreciates assumptions being made about them so try not to follow a pack mentality and make up your own mind about people based on your own direct experience with them and not clichéd stereotypes.
All that aside, I hope that *everyone* has a great New Year and all that they hope for from 2018…
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