This morning I woke up to silence. The hoopla of the night was over. Revelry had given way to sleep. It was in some ways disconcerting… The excitement of the new year had turned into “ok, it’s here… now what?” I had been speaking with my best friend about seasons, and how it can seem like our New Year’s resolutions, and the new year itself can seem like just a rehashing of the same old stuff… The thought started to grip me like the 8 degree temperature on our latest adventure (for those of you that have never experienced that level of cold… it doesn’t go away that easily).
This morning’s silence was also comforting. I thought of the year to be, seeing it as a clean slate. The beginning of this year is like a fresh snowfall… no dirt or marks or footprints. It is a canvas waiting to be painted, a song ready to be penned, a door waiting to be opened. Who knows what is on the other side or what the finished product will be? I think this is more exciting a thought than just more of the same. I may end up looking back on the year, reflecting on a new job, or a trip to a new country, or on new friendships having formed. It’s all there for the taking.
I began to think of how I can challenge myself to orchestrate 2016. After all, Ben Franklin’s words are true: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” I looked at the numbers of the year, and decided to do something like this:
- 2 – gain 2 new real friends
- 0 – days where I don’t express love or appreciation
- 1 – accomplish 1 significant goal
- 6 – read 6 books designed to improve me in some way
I also have a bonus 6: I want to seriously contribute to the lives of 6 people, to help them either accomplish their goals, or make their lives better. I have other things rolling around in my head and heart too, and they will reveal themselves in time.
Like every year before it, we may look back on 2016 and comment about how fast it went, and that’s ok, as long as when we look back we have some wonderful memories, things that made us better people, and that we enjoyed the journey along the way. Here’s to a wonderful year!
Notable Notables
I picked up a book that challenged me from day one: 
