New Year

It is 2012!!! Can you believe it? I will admit, I have never really been a fan of all the New Years celebrations. Something about sparkly shirts, midnight kisses, bubbling beverages, and Lady Gaga performances, etc. never really appealed to me. Worst of all would have to be New Years resolutions. My level of commitment to both creating and following through on these resolutions has fluctuated over the years, and this year, I decided, what is the point? Why bother spending precious brain energy coming up with resolutions that I know will meet their end by February (if that long)?

For some reason or another, I ended up watching the movie Becoming Jane on the 1st of this new year, which oddly enough inspired a contemplation of why society does what it does. In the movie the couple could not be together due to society-imposed economic pressures, and my thoughts turned from that to, yes, New Years. Though it may seem like a strange connection, I wondered where society comes up with stuff like New Years resolutions and having a holiday to celebrate what in reality is just another day. The reason cannot be that we feel starved for holiday spirit, because New Years falls just a week after Christmas. Some presents may still lie in a stack, with plastic and tags still attached.

And then it hit me, it all makes sense. How fitting that a holiday in which we recognize and remember the gift of the Savior, both in his being born to this earth and in all he has done and continues to do for us, should be followed by a focus on repentance. It seems that such a focus on the Savior naturally compels us to consider what can be changed in our lives. Remembering Him makes us want to be more like Him. Many people may be hesitant to categorize New Years as such, but in essence that is what we do. We pause and reflect on what needs improvement in our lives, and make, dare I say it, resolutions to be just a little better, a little more like Christ in the upcoming year.

So to all those naysayers out there, all those who think the cause is over before you've even begun and not worth the try, I encourage you to join me to take a moment to reflect and consider what change(s) YOU can make in 2012 to be more like our Savior Jesus Christ. Or as the world likes to call it, "New Years resolutions."