Happy New Year

I love the beginning of a new year. It has that crisp feeling of a brand new $20 dollar bill that's hot off the press. Or the way a new outfit feels the first time you ever wear it out. And it smells like laundry right as it comes out of the dryer. It has a way of making you feel like anything is possible and that you could not possibly fail at anything that you set out to do.

My life has always been something of a series of turbulent waves, crashing upon the shore and floating back into the steady current of the every day. Over the last year I have learned a lot about myself; who I am, what I believe, where I stand, where I am and where I am headed. I have had to make tough decisions and learn to live with the choices I make. This year held much that was expected and a lot that wasn't. In all, 2008 is the year I grew up. This year I want to put all I learned into practice. I plan on being the best I can be at my job, at church, and at life in general. I want to grow more, to learn more, to be more.

I've never been one for New Year's resolutions. I think I did them when I was younger because I thought I had to. My pastor says that if it's not something you are will to change at any moment, then it is not something you are going to change because you make a resolution. Resolutions fail because we do not have the constitution to see them through. This year I do not plan on making resolutions, but rather, I plan on making changes. I want to be the best version of myself. I want to succeed at the things I've been to scared to accomplish.

1. First and foremost I want to finish my manuscript. I want to take the story that I have in my head and place the words out there for others to read and to understand that there is much we can learn from those who brought us into this world.

2. I want to get on top of my finances. I want to be debt free at the end of the year.

3. I want to expand my mind. To read at least one book a month, no matter how busy I am.

4. I want to be happy with who I am inside and out. I don't want to say that I plan on losing weight, because I always seem to want to do that, and I always set myself up for failure, but I do plan on making my health a priority this year.

5. I want to make a difference in someone's life.

This year I plan on becoming who I was born to be. I want to embrace life to its fullest potential. Live without regrets. Ride the tide and never look back. This year I want to embrace each moment. I want this to be a year that I will never forget.