It seems that the holidays went by so fast that I didn’t even have a chance to truly experience the season. Now that New Years is a part of history, many will start their journeys to achieving resolutions for the coming year. Goals can always be positive and a motivator for moving in the right direction. Although at the same time, there are many other things that I concern myself with for the New Year. Depending on where you live and your thoughts about the events that have happened, my biggest concern is to have peace. I know it sounds cliché to say such a thing, but it seems that easily we can become anxious about the threats being told on news stations. That is probably in my thoughts now more than ever.  I do agree that we can’t sit back in constant worry about tomorrow. However, I do think that we can move towards living a more peaceful lifestyle. I know that for myself, by practicing a philosophy of becoming more resilient to saying no. I know that I’ve gotten too caught up in trying to say yes too often. Eliminating tasks that consume my life. I find that I am more fulfilled by doing the simple tasks.  Reading a book again and more frequently, along with prioritizing people. Not everyone is as deserving of your time and attention. Not everyone is good for us on a daily basis. We can still maintain relationships in our lives that are satisfying for us. The biggest question to ask yourself when evaluating the people that are in our lives is asking ourselves how does the person make me feel and what impact do they have on us? They may sound like strange questions, but believe it or not, it’s an important one that we often times don’t ask ourselves enough.

Other things such as practicing to live in the moment is another goal that I am setting for myself. That is going to be the hardest one for me to reach, but it will allow for the mind to be quieted and to live a more peaceful and stress-free life. Lastly, practicing empathy towards others. If you want to practice empathy and compassion start by reaching out to a family member or friend and offer to help her in some way. Perhaps you could run an errand for her, or do something simple like unload groceries or water her plants. The point of this exercise is to provide to others the feelings and actions you appreciate when someone does the same for you.

When looking ahead, making yourself a priority, helping others in need, and learning to live a more peaceful and stress-free life are just some of the ways that we can achieve peace in the New Year. When you think of what you would like to achieve, remind yourself of the words of one of my favorite T.V. shows, The Honeymooners, “Baby, you’re the greatest.”