It is almost time to turn the page on 2012, and start afresh, a brand new slate. 2013 beckons us, and invites us to think about new beginnings, new opportunities. Some people do this through New Year’s Resolutions, but I have never joined that club. In fact my joke is that I resolve each year not to have any New Year’s Resolutions! But it is always good to spend some time in self-reflection, and try to see which habits we have developed which are actually harmful to us. Is it time to face up to those aspects of our life which need changing?

We tend to be very good at identifying the faults of others. We can see very clearly what our friends need to do to be better people. We see the paths our children are following and feel it is our job to tell them how to change. Our partners, spouses, siblings, coworkers, how much better would they be if only they could change some quirk or habit that is holding them back. Why can’t our children see their potential, and do everything in their power to achieve it?

But the truth is, the only person I have the responsibility to change is me. Taking on other people as a project is a copout, something to distract us from our own bad habits and addictions. If we are living with someone whose ways or personality traits make us crazy, we actually have two choices: one is to remove ourselves from them, the other is to change the way we react to them. But ultimately it is not our responsibility to change them. True change only comes about when the person accepts there is something that needs modifying. Transformation can only be achieved when that person wants to change, truly desires to live differently, to take on a new habit or attitude.

So this morning as you wake up to the last weekend of 2012, see if there is anything you want to leave behind. Is there a pattern you need to change, a way of life that is making you unhappy? It could be something tangible, like the need to start a healthier lifestyle. Or it could be a need to find a way to respond to life’s challenges more calmly, not letting minor obstructions result in major blowups.

Make a plan to change, focus on you and your goals, and let those around you seek their own path to happiness. In order for it not to be a soon forgotten resolution, it has to be something you are ready to change, something you acknowledge as a problem as you embark on a new year. It may be just the beginning, the recognition of what is no longer working for you.

One of my weaknesses is procrastination. I put off till the last minute jobs that could have easily been done before. Then, as I hasten to get them done in time, I have no wiggle room for unexpected delays. It may seem a small problem, but it can result in waking up one morning and realizing you have procrastinated your life away, and you no longer have the abilities to achieve the dreams you kept pushing aside.

Happy Friday Morning, Facebook family! I hope you have grand plans to send of the Old Year with a bang, surrounded by people you care about. May you have health to face the challenges and opportunities of another year.  May you have the ability to see your own potential, and the motivation to work steadfastly towards it. That positive attitude may be all you need to demonstrate to those around you the worth of self-reflection and the benefits of grabbing life with both hands, before it passes you by.

Happy New Year! Thank you for reading my messages over the past year, and for adding to the discussion with your comments and insights.

One Love!  This coming year may the world come closer to recognizing that we are one planet, one people, and our future depends on facing it together.