I love New Year!

I know it’s like the poor cousin to a much bigger and grander event that comes the week before but, still, I love New Year.

I’m probably in a minority. Over the years, I’ve gleefully told lots of people how much I love this understated and underrated event and they’ve looked at me blankly.

‘Why?’ they’ve muttered. ‘It’s rubbish. A massive anti-climax. January is awful.’

‘But I agree!’ I’ve replied. ‘January IS awful. But new year, as a thing on its own, is lovely!’

Generally, at this point, they change the conversation or make a mental note that I am probably a mad, cat-owning, new year-loving, danger to those who prefer a good old Christmas knees up.

But I DO love New Year.

There’s something magical about it. Something unique about the clock striking midnight and one year slipping into the next.

And from the year that leaves us, we take memories, experiences, happiness, sadness, beginnings and endings. Then we walk into another one that holds the unknown.

But at that point, before we dip more than a toe into the fresh year upon us, there’s promise. Promise of twelve great months ahead. A fresh start. New opportunities. A chance to put the negatives behind us and move forward with hope and positivity.

And that’s what it’s about, isn’t it?

Seizing the day. Or in this case, perhaps the year.

The last couple of years have taken their toll on us all. We’ve faced collective challenges we never thought we would, as well as our own personal hurdles.

But what if the worst is behind us? What if this next year is the best one yet?

As the clock strikes midnight, there’s a little glimmer that it could be just that.

And it’s that little glimmer that should encourage us all to take the risk, to write the book, to climb the mountain, to go on the date, to apply for the job, to face the challenges, to look for happiness… to seize the year. And make it our own.

As a very famous writer once said, ‘Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.’

Happy New Year for when it comes. I hope we all seize it with everything we’ve got.