Another year has fallen by the wayside. A new, fresh year, filled with possibilities, is spread out before us. It seems the years march by at a brisker pace the older you get. It is for this reason we must strive to do the things we want to do in life because before we know it, the years have flown by and we’re wondering where they’ve gone. I think it was John Lennon that said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re making other plans.” I guess the nugget of wisdom there is, making plans is good, but don’t let the making part take up the living part.

The New Year is a time for resolutions. What do we want to do differently this year than last? Some people don’t make resolutions, “I’ll just break them so why even make them?” That’s a valid point, but if I don’t try how do I know whether I can succeed at something, or not? Maybe I’ve tried it a dozen times before and never succeeded to get very far. You never know, this just might be the year when the stars align, and success is meant for me.

One of my annual New Years resolutions is always to spend more time in nature. I believe my relationship with the earth and nature grounds me. It keeps me aware of those things that are especially important in life. Not material things, not the newest technological gadgets, or a closet full of new clothes. To stand quietly in a wintry, snow-covered woods, immersed in solitude, to breathe the cold, crisp air into my lungs and feel my heartbeat echo in my ears is to know real peace and solitude. This is not a feeling our hectic lives often allow, nor the world around us allows, unless we seek it out.

For the year ahead, I plan to seek the solace of nature. To spend more time enjoying the wonders, large and small, to look, listen and observe more than ever. I plan to appreciate more and complain less, to give more and take less. To take more deep breaths, smell more roses, laugh a little more and frown a little less. I guess, put simply, to enjoy life more, for each year comes and goes faster than the last!