One of the funniest and most ironic scenes in the movie We are the Millers is when Scotty P. Scotty, a typical, traveling carnival ruffian, shows off his tattoo that covers his chest from shoulder to shoulder. The tattoo, in large, old-English lettering, simply reads: No Ragrets, which is not a typo here, but a permanent typo on confident Scotty P. Scotty’s chest…ya’ know what I’m sayin’? The great thing about Scotty P. is he doesn’t have one ragret, not even a single letter.

Regret is sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one’s control or power to repair. (Merriam-Webster) It’s an oppressive, dismal task to carry regret and the heaviness that comes with it. It hurts your heart and burdens your soul.

“You don’t need a New Year or a new day to start fresh, you only need a new mindset.”

For me, 2023 was a difficult year. Probably more than 75 percent of my days were filled with stress and just felt heavy. Finding joy became an arduous task, mainly because my stress was bullying me. However, almost 100 percent of the time, I got up, I got out, and I did what had to be done. Some of those days I soared, which felt incredible. As I look back over the year as a whole, though, it wore me out.

I refuse to allow this year to follow suit. Bad years need to step aside because I’m putting measures in place, that no matter what, I’m going to make my well-being—both physically and mentally—a priority, and that includes not only finding joy, but living joyously!

 Forget about all of your New Year’s resolutions right now
unless you are one of the few who will actually stick to them.
There is only one resolution that if you can conquer it, you can achieve anything:
Stop procrastinating! That’s right. Procrastination is the one thing.

Although quite complicated and difficult to overcome, procrastination is holding you back from achieving your immediate goals and future dreams. Procrastination is a big, long word meaning to put something off until you are pretty sure you can no longer do it, remember it, or recall why it was important to you. Basically P-R-O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N spells failure. It does not mean you are a pro at crastinating, so don’t euphemize it, like today’s society tends to do.

“I am realistic—I expect miracles!”
— Dr. Wayne Dyer —

When most people think of miracles, they think of acts so great they are beyond earthly power. Some think of the Bible stories about the many miracles Jesus performed, such as restoring a blind man’s sight and bringing a dead man back to life. While some have experiences that can only be explained and comprehended as a miracle such as these, I believe miracles are not exclusive to the grandeur. Miracles surround us every day, and come in all levels of awe—the only prerequisite in experiencing them is to begin to notice. When you change your perception of what a miracle is, you’ll begin to see them all around you.

Do the words “Bah, Humbug” run through your brain at this time of year?
Or maybe you begin conjugating the word “stink” just like the Grinch –stink, stank, stunk.
With all of the pressure to make the holidays “just perfect”, it’s no wonder we have a tendency
to be stressed during this time of year. What are the factors that cause all the tension?
If we can identify them, then we can combat them. Here are a few I thought of:

Money:
We are living in rough times right now and our horns of plenty may be approaching the empty mark. It’s okay. It’s not the “stuff” that people remember in the years to come. It’s the fond memories of spending time with each other, the stories that are told and the laughter that is shared. If you’re running low on money this year, consider giving of yourself. There is always a multitude of gifts waiting in our hearts to share with others.