With 2012 sneaking up on us right around the corner, it’s hard not to get caught up in the idea of new beginnings and change.
The beginning of a new year inevitably comes with thoughts of starting fresh and of change and improvement — at least for me. THIS will be the year I finally lose all that weight. THIS will be the year I save money and actually build a “rainy day fund.” THIS will be the year I learn to play an instrument and make it sound like real, actual music. THIS will be the year I roast a chicken and have people over for dinner, just like a real grown up. You get the idea.....
For me, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one is filled with about as much hope as I’m capable of holding onto at one time. And yet, it’s always tempered by some realism that I haven’t actually done any of those things I thought I’d do other years, so why will things be any different this time? I’ve never been one to make proper New Year’s resolutions because I don’t have faith that I can actually keep them. But I still can’t help but get excited when I think of the blank canvas in front of me that is the coming year. Especially this year. I have a new job and a new home, and I break into a giant ear-to-ear grin whenever I think about that.
I probably won’t lose 30 pounds this year, and I probably won’t start investing in mutual funds. But I just hope I will remember this sense of excitement and carry it throughout the year.
And that is my hope for you as well. Whether you make resolutions or not, and whether you keep them or not, I hope that 2012 is full of moments where you look ahead eagerly, and I hope that if starting a new year fills you with hope and excitement, you can find a way to keep that feeling throughout the year. All the very best to you and yours in 2012.
— Lindsay Chung