New Year’s Resolutions!

Happy New Year, everyone! Now that 2008 is FINALLY here, I’m sure that everyone is ready for a great new beginning and a fresh start. I know I am, (especially after all those Christmas cookies…)

New Year’s resolutions are fun to make, but can sometimes be hard to follow throughout the year. I know I’ve had trouble. Last year I promised myself that I wouldn’t overdo it on the Christmas cookies….Oh, well. You win some, you lose some. But what’s most important is if you try. And when you get through that first month, the other eleven are easy!

This year, I’m making a New Year’s resolution to Shine Through as much as possible. What do I mean? Each time I’m faced with a situation in which I have the choice to follow the crowd or be myself, I plan to be myself.

Huh?

Well, because I can see into the future (…), on January 20^th, my friends and I go to see Enchanted in theaters. Again. And they all order a small popcorn, a bag of Skittles and a 16 oz. bottle of water. I’m not the biggest fan of popcorn. (Don’t get me wrong: I like eating it when I’m watching movies in the house where there’s dental floss nearby. And I’m definitely not carrying toothpaste in my pocket. Though there’s nothing wrong with that…)

So, in that situation, I would order myself a big bag of chocolate covered raisins. So, why is that such a big deal? Well, if I was wearing a mask in that situation, I would have ordered a small popcorn, a bag of Skittles and a 16 oz. bottle of water. Why? Because that’s what all my friends ordered. Why should I be any different? It’s a very small situation, but it can mean a whole lot. When you Shine Through, you choose to be yourself in whatever the situation may be. Especially when it involves choosing chocolate over corn…

My New Year’s resolution is that simple: I plan to be myself as much as possible! And you should, too. Besides, you’re the only you that you know. Who else is better suited to be YOU than YOU?

So pull out a sheet of paper and jot down your New Years resolutions, including your plan to Shine Through. (And don’t forget to write down that one about not drinking soda so fast. Don’t forget what happened the last couple of times you did that…)

Have a happy, healthy New Year! And don’t forget to Shine Through!

Season's Greetings

Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe help to make the season bright. But what about the things that really matter?

Every chain email you’ve been getting recently has probably told you this, but it’s true. The holiday season truly is about reflecting on what really matters. So, past all the greeting cards and things you toss aside before stuffing your face with the chocolate inside the box…what does this mean?

It’s all about whatever you do every day that you are grateful for. It’s about acknowledging the little things—as well as the big things—that make your life meaningful. It might be something as simple as I’m grateful for not being forced by my parents to eat Granny Moscovitz’s latkes. Or, something like, I am so lucky that my brother Ricky didn’t get a drum set for Christmas. Then I would have an even worse headache…

Recognizing the bigger things is just as important. When you’re stuck in a never-ending line at Wal Mart buying yet another bubble bath kit for your big sister, take a moment and think, What am I grateful for? You’re probably grateful that you’re wearing a coat, right? You’re grateful that, even though your sister annoys the fruit cake out of you, she still loves you. (Except when she finds out that you stole her Gap straight leg jeans right out of the dryer before she could get at them. Then, she might not love you so much…)

How about your house? You have one. It’s warm. How about your Grandmother’s latkes? You have food to eat. (Even if it tastes like shoe.) There are so many things that you have in your everyday life that you don’t think twice about. Well, ‘tis the season to thank your lucky star that you have all these things.

Whatever you celebrate, and whoever you celebrate it with, be thankful for what you have and what you share with others. When we can find joy in what we have, and not find greed for what we don’t have, it helps to make the season bright.

So have fun this holiday season and enjoy all your family, friends, latkes, fruit cake, and the magic of the holidays. Happy Chrismahannukwaanzica to all, and to all a good night!