A time for new beginnings...

People say that time changes us, but time really has nothing to do with it; it’s our experiences over the course of our lives that change us and make us who we are. The pain and happiness we experience over the years mold us like a potter’s wheel, shaping us into something other than what we were when we started. We’re still made from the same clay, but our shape shifts and changes. Whether this evolution is for the better or for the worse, one thing is certain: it takes place. So, perhaps the only thing that’s in our power is to determine how we react to it.

New Year’s resolutions are always a popular song and dance during the holiday season. In some ways, blank slates give people hope. They can say: “This year, things will be different! I’ll lose 10 lbs, I’ll start exercising, I’ll quit smoking, I’ll be better with my finances, I’ll be a better parent, spouse, etc”. Resolutions hold the promise of perfection, if only, for a little while.

Most of the time, of course, people's "resolve" dissipates just as quickly as it appeared and they feel disappointed in themselves and their lack of willpower. It’s not really their fault. New Year’s resolutions, if not properly defined, are destined to fail. After all, what is so different about January 1st? At the end of the day, it’s just another day in the calendar, right? The point is to actually do something to make our resolution come to being. By that token, any day is a good day to make the decisions that will alter the course of our lives.

I suspect that the fundamental mistake most people make is trying to define "happiness" as a perfect to-do list. "Achieve ideal body weight… check. Achieve promotion... check. Achieve Zen-like nirvana... check." People talk of happiness as something attainable in the future, only if certain requirements are met. But, once you spend a few solid years on this planet you soon realize that happiness can appear in the strangest and most unexpected places and sometimes the things we strived for so hard gave us very little pleasure in return. It’s important to redefine and refocus as we change and evolve.

Let’s face it… dreams don't come in "one size fits all". This year, as people rattle off resolution after resolution, leave the specifics to others and resolve to listen to your inner voice and your true self.

Writer Ellen Goodman once said: "We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential." That’s what a new year should be all about – potential. Sounds like a good way to make a new beginning to me.