Make Every Day A Happy New Year!

Today is New Year's Day! As I stayed up last night playing games with my kids and waiting for midnight, I was struck by the enthusiasm of ringing in the New Year. There is a feeling of renewal as we let go of the past year and look forward to the New Year with hope and optimism. Unfettered by the past we set new goals. We feel powerful and unlimited in our potential. We feel free to redefine ourselves and reinvent our lives.

So it occurred to me...why wait for the New Year? Why not start every day with the same kind of hope and enthusiasm? Why not approach every day as though the possibilities are unlimited? Why not go to bed every night with the same anticipation of New Year's Eve?

Christine Kane has a wonderful blog post about choosing a "word" for the new year...Resolution Revolution: A Better Way to Start Your Year. Instead of making New Year's resolutions, she recommends choosing a word for the year that will help you focus on the kind of change you are looking for. Words like "gratitude", "courage", "compassion", "abundance", etc.

The past few years I've been following Christine's advice and choosing a "word" for the year. So far the most powerful year was when I chose "gratitude" for my word. Choosing to have an attitude of gratitude for a whole year was amazing.

This year I am choosing the word "New"!!! Upon first glance the word "New" may not seem to have much meaning, but I am choosing to approach each day this year as a new adventure! A celebration full of possibilities! I'm going to let go of yesterday and continually move forward with hope and optimism each day! And hopefully by the end of the year, New Year's Eve won't feel like such a special event. Instead that "New" feeling of a fresh start will be a way of life rather than a once a year ritual.