New Year - New You!

“Last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s

words await another voice.”

~ T.S. Elliott

In a few short days, 2022 will dissipate into the darkness of night and the festive sounds of auld lang syne will usher in 2023. It’s a joyous time of the year; full of peace & happiness, fond memories and new beginnings.

Having heard the song for 59 years, it always has the same meaning to me… sort of. Gone are the days of celebrating until the wee hours of the morning and banging pots & pans in the street at the stroke of midnight (Did you ever do this? Apparently, it’s an Irish tradition and one celebrated around the world). These days, being awake at midnight is a rare occurrence and either the result of travel plans gone awry or insomnia.

Flipping the calendar from December to January doesn’t have any magical powers and doesn’t come with a reset button (I wish!). It is simply the dawning of a new day… a new year.

It is a good time though to take personal inventory and reflect on life.

Julius Caesar crowned January 1 the 1st day of the new year in honor of Janus, the Roman God of New Beginnings, who could reflect on the prior year and look into the future (Janus had two heads). I tend to reflect on the past and focus on the future… hence; new beginnings.

Fast forward to modern times and perhaps Brad Paisley said it best, “Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Make it a good one.”

So, if you happen to be a Stephen Covey “7 Habits…” fan, it’s time to be ‘Pro Active,’ ‘Begin with the end in mind' and ‘Sharpen the saw.’

Let’s do everything with purpose and conviction in 2023 as there’s always… always… room for improvement. Can I get an amen?

Until next time - and next year…

Cheers.