Make the Most of Your Clean Slate in 2019

This time of year, we always feel the sense of potential for what the year ahead can bring. It’s like having a clean slate – an empty canvas, devoid of any of the past year’s mistakes or negativity. It’s a chance to start over and, for many, a chance to make a positive change.

Who among us hasn’t sworn that a coming year will be different in some way? Whether it’s finding the discipline to make healthy changes in our own lives or to put ourselves out there more for others in need, it says something to the human spirit that we still have hope in ourselves – to change, to grow, to become better or kinder or live more simply. A new year always brings new hope.

In years past, I’ve made resolutions to lose weight, to quit smoking, to exercise more and try to be a better mother, sister, daughter and wife. Some of those things were easy to accomplish, while others still evade me.

So, this year, even though I had already decided that I wanted to do this or that in 2019, I’ve changed my mind. I’ve simplified my resolutions to just one idea that encompasses them all, and more:

In this coming new year, I will be better than I was last year.

Better in what way, you may ask? My answer is, in all ways that I can.

Believe me, I know myself well by now, and I know that if I say I will swear off sugar or chocolate this year, I’d be lying. If I say I’ll take up running or biking or weight lifting, I’d be lying. But if I do something, ANYTHING, better than I did in 2018, I know I can do it. If I say I’ll walk three miles instead of two, I know I can do that. If I say I’ll greet one stranger each day with a smile, I know I’ll do it. If I say I’ll do one thing in this new year that will take me outside of my comfort zone, I’ll do it.

It’s true that the old “new year, new me” catchphrase has become a bit of a joke, because we all begin with good intentions which, more often than not it seems, get left by the wayside over time.

But the point is this – we still hope for better things. We still hope to become better people. We hope to improve and expand, and to live and love… better than we did before. And those things can never be wrong.

This year, let’s continue to strive to be better human beings. Have a safe and happy new year ahead.

About Ann Luongo

Ann Luongo has been writing for Cape Cod and South Shore publications for over 15 years.



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