MMXVI

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.  BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

What's in a number? Every twelve months the calender rolls over and a fresh canvas of time is laid out for us to pen another year. Many of us use this as a catapult to make positive changes in our lives. More often than not these changes are short lived or never realized. We are most certainly creatures of habit, changing our ways is more than just "doing what's right", more often than not, it's breaking comfortable habits, practicing discipline, and resisting temptation. Most of the things that make us healthier, physically and mentally, are more difficult and less tasty than enjoyable alternatives. You often hear about the results of hard work, be it getting in shape, executing a project, or climbing the so-called corporate ladder. "Hard work" is synonymous with "not fun".

The greatest balance one can achieve is a fusion between effort and enjoyment. 

For too long we've lived under the pretext that you work all week and play on the weekends. We punch a clock and become the property of our employer. We labor against our better judgement, working in a position of mental strain in order to put food on our table. The fortunate few have discovered a way out, a way to earn an income for what they're most inclined to do. It seems the key is to figure out exactly what it is we're most inclined to do. What gives us the most satisfaction in our lives and how could that be applied to an employment opportunity. What skills to we possess that could be honed and channeled into a gainful occupation?

Though it sounds simple, this proposition is deceptively difficult. I've been aware of this way forward for many years, yet thus far, I've failed to convert into such a line. Like so many, my interests are varied and vast, but the older I get, the easier it is to narrow them down. The more exposure to different people and experiences, the better I understand myself and my place in this world. It becomes less about knowing answers and more about understanding the questions.

Identifying areas in need of improvement is halfway to finding their solution.

My proposal at the beginning of this new year, is for each of us take inventory of our lives, jobs, relationships, and inner depths. Define which elements are positive and in need of endorsement, and which are negative, and in need of tending to. Rather than setting lofty, unrealistic goals for ourselves, we should decide where we'd like to be a year from now, and generate a list of actions that might get us there from here. At the same time, work to define your interests and what makes you different from everyone else. What efforts bring you the greatest satisfaction?

Once you've a clear understanding of yourself and your personal destination, match that with your definition of an ideal occupation. Once you know who you are, you are equipped for the journey that lies before you.

Envision the peak of Mount Olympus, set your course, and enjoy the trip.

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.  RANIER MARIA RILKE