New Year and A New Chapter Here on the Suncoast

I know that today can be stressful for most people as the new year kicks off. Resolutions for what you want to accomplish in the coming year spin through everyone’s head. Unfortunately, these resolutions are often based on things we want to change in our world. Reflections on how your weight went up the last year or two, the career you stuck with too long and need to change. It goes on and on, but this year, I think we need to start a new trend and think of this first day of a new year in another way – the start of an amazing new chapter with a blank page waiting for your personal story.

Like an amazing novel that you can’t wait to turn the next page on – let’s embrace 2023 in such a way. We have survived pandemics, hurricanes, and other major drama in the last few years. We haven’t failed at anything other than maybe keeping our cool in the face of some of the world’s biggest challenges in generations. We each get to write the stories of survival, new adventures, and amazing new details we will unveil in this chapter of our lives.

So, what do you think this year could hold for you? Are you going to find the love of your life, or maybe a second chance at romance you never thought would come your way? Maybe expand that family you have been dreaming of, or possibly become the empty nester you have worked for all these years? What travels can you plan, what adventures will you undertake, and what things scare you in this chapter of your life? Instead of a resolution like losing weight, which might or might not stick – make a list of activities to undertake, get happier, and get moving.

Grab a calendar and make a date for a show, to see a friend, or maybe start a new hobby you have dreamed of for years. Don’t meditate on a resolution, but put your next chapter in motion. Volunteer to help others, get moving by walking the wonderous scenery of the Suncoast, or call a friend you haven’t seen in years. We will all succeed this year, and we will all fall and fail at something we wish could have turned out differently. So what? We each have an amazing life story, and action sequences move every great story forward. So instead of resolving, start penning the next great chapter in your life’s work of art.

As for me, I am choosing positivity this year, which means no resolutions for me. I always get disheartened when I fail in February (sometimes earlier) on those goals. I’m embracing life with both hands and throwing it all at the wall this year. Concerts, travel, and more family activities are already penned into my calendar, and I’m ready to see where this amazing new chapter will take me. I hope every one of you will also grab your story with both hands, and let’s see what amazing new chapters we have to pen this year.

Happy New Year, Suncoast – have fun, be happy and live every year as the best one in the novel of your life!

Photo courtesy of Deposit Photos