Hello, 2019! You got here fast! And I hope you brought some good and positivity with you for the year ahead. Right before the New Year rang in my cell phone died for a period of time in the final hours of 2018. Because I tend to be a bit of a pessimist at times, my first thought was, “Oh great, is this a sign of what 2019 has in store? Because if it is I’m sleeping through it!” My husband, who is definitely a glass half-full type of personality, completely changed my way of thinking. Since I’ve been due for a phone upgrade for about two years now he said to look at it as a sign of change—for the better. This is hard to do a lot of the time. I don’t always consider change to be a good thing, but sometimes it can be.

There’s no doubt that 2018 had its share of challenges and hurdles. But coming into a new year can represent hope and faith that times ahead can be better. Hold onto the idea that the future can be bright and that light can filter through darkness and that we can choose to believe in goodness. We can make the decision to surround ourselves with people who lift us up rather than pull us down. We can tell ourselves that it’s OK to practice self-care and to make our well-being a priority.

Change isn’t easy but it’s not always a bad thing, either. Especially if you’re making the change yourself or realize that you can control how you react to it. The years seem like they’re flying by at this point. Maybe in 2019 we can make the conscious effort to slow down a bit. Try to enjoy the little moments and life’s joys that peek through. All we can do is hope for a better year ahead and make ourselves a part of the change when we’re able to.