Saturday, January 2, 2016

A new year

Whether we admit it or not, there is something special about the new year.  I am not referring to the eve, which I feel is far too overrated, over-celebrated, exaggerated and just plain pointless.  That celebration hints of gratitude that we survived another year, which, to be frank, I find short-sighted, and somewhat defeatist.

The new year, however, January 1, feels like the world’s birthday (and I love birthdays).  Think about it – you change calendars, remember what you did that day/night (more than the 2nd, 3rd, etc.), you reach out to friends and relatives you don’t often see/speak to with greetings of happiness and joy, and you almost always have some ritual attached to the day.  As I was reading the news paper today, I also felt like the day was one where you look away from the micro- everyday stuff for a moment and take stock of the big picture – the year in the market, climate change, fight against poverty, scientific achievements, Nobel prize winners, wins and losses, and so on. And I believe those reflections have great opportunities to teach and inspire us. What’s more, this wonderful, inexplicable ‘hope’ attached to the start of a new year emboldens us with a willful, can-do attitude.  And that is definitely worth celebrating.
So when we exchange new year’s greetings, we’d always be well-served to think of what we can change, transform, improve, sing, paint, draw to make our lives, and this world that much better.

Happy 2016!

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