The New Year

I am the New Year, and I come to you pure and unstained,
Fresh from the hand of God.
Each day, a precious pearl to you is given
That you must string upon the silver thread of Life.
Once strung can never be unthreaded but stays
An undying record of your faith and skill.
Each golden, minute link you then must weld into the chain of hours
That is no stronger than its weakest link.
Into your hands is given all the wealth and power
To make your life just what you will.
I give to you, free and unstinted, twelve glorious months
Of soothing rain and sunshine golden;
The days for work and rest, the nights for peaceful slumber.
All that I have I give with love unspoken.
All that I ask---you keep the faith unbroken!
—J. D. Templeton
 

'Tis easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows along like a song;
But the man worth while
is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox
 

A man should never be ashamed to say
he has been wrong,
which is but saying in other words
that he is wiser today
than he was yesterday.
—Alexander Pope
 

When you're facing
the right direction,
the size of your steps
doesn't matter.

An Exercise for the New Year

• Name the five wealthiest people in the world

• Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

• Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.

• Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize.

• Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor or actress.

• Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
   

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

• List a few teachers who aided you journey through school.

• Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

• Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

• Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

• Think of five people with whom you enjoy spending time.

• Name a half-dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. At this New Year, remember to thank those that have made a difference for you and write about them in your journal, too.

We cannot always control
the circumstances
in our lives,
But we can control
our attitude toward them.

 "What lies behind us and what lies before
us are tiny matters compared to what lies with us."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Whatever you are,
be a good one."
—Abraham Lincoln

 "Do not go where the path may lead,
go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

"We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then,
is not an act, but a habit."

—Aristotle

"You are today where your thoughts have brought you;
you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you."
—James Lane Allen

"I have always thought the actions of men
the best interpreters of their thoughts."
—John Locke

They might not need me;
but they might.
I'll let my head be just in sight;
A smile as small as mine
might be
Precisely their necessity.
—Emily Dickinson

If you want to go to sleep
with a clear conscience,
either live with integrity every day,
or pray for forgiveness every night.

A New Start

I will start anew this morning with a higher, fairer creed;
I will cease to stand complaining of my ruthless neighbor's greed;
I will cease to sit repining while my duty's call is clear;
I will waste no moment whining, and my heart shall know no fear.
I will look sometimes about me for the things that merit praise;
I will search for hidden beauties that elude the grumbler's gaze.
I will try to find contentment in the paths that I must tread;
I will cease to have resentment with another moves ahead.
I will not be swayed by envy when my rival's strength is shown;
I will not deny his merit, but I'll strive to prove my own;
I will try to see the beauty spread before me, rain or shine;
I will cease to preach your duty, and be more concerned with mine.
—Author Unknown