26 days

In 26 days the year 2013 comes to a close. Another year bites the dust.

As with every year New Year's Eve and holiday season, the welcome of a pending new year always brings the hope of a new year filled with fresh new chances and sparkling opportunities.

I'm tired of that crap.

Of course, life is a roller coaster with ups and downs. That's life and it will never change.
But I'm tired of "waiting to be rescued" by a new year in white, shining armor filled with resolutions promising to make my life better, that for the most part are ubiquitous to the human race or at least in the Western hemisphere. Resolutions that fall out of "shiny new penny" status by January 16th. Living healthy, (eating and exercising, okay the exercise thing is a challenge), being happier, more grateful, blah, blah blah, etc.. those shouldn't be resolutions, they should just be a way of life. Yes, I know it's not always that easy and we're not all perfect.

I have spent the last couple hours reflecting and writing, and my fingers are cramped and sore.

Instead of stale resolutions and cardboard hopes for a brighter, healthier, wealthier 2014, I've decided instead to conquer my fears in 2014.

In the last couple hours, I have come face to face with my fears. And I'm not talking about my fear of spiders or trying some strange new exotic dish.
Fears that have been holding me back. Fears that probably have been the reason I have prayed for the rescue of that new year to provide hope and substance to what I have been missing all my life.

While I do believe not in focusing on the negative but the positive, perhaps it's time to be counter-intuitive. These negatives need a dose of the "care bear stare" to break me through to the other side.

So, while everyone is concentrating on their resolutions to be more this or that, I will be focusing on my un-resolutions, wielding my proverbial machete and conquering my 6 great fears - yes, I came up with 6.

...And yes one of my fears is actually proclaiming myself with 'ringing affirmation' as a writer, not just someone who likes to write.

Here's to 2014. New Year, New Me, New You.