Christmas is a time of giving and appreciating family and friends. Now that Christmas is over, there is no reason why we shouldn't keep that holiday spirit alive and keep in mind that being grateful and giving isn't just for the holidays, it should be something that is consistently practiced throughout the year.

2016 has been such a crazy year filled with unfortunate acts of hatred—from the shooting in Orlando to the crisis in Syria. This shouldn't be a reflection of humanity because that's not who we are meant to be. Love and generosity should always be a priority to spread happiness, not just in our home towns, but around the world. Acts of kindness need to speak louder that acts of hatred and we need to make it that way. Don't just tweet, post on Facebook or post an Instagram photo to show support for a cause—go out and do something about it.

We all want to be loved and cared for, so if we want to receive that, we also need to channel that into others. Spreading kindness shouldn't have to be a hassle, but something that we know we have to do to better ourselves and the people that we share our lives with. As Mohammed Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Now with 2017 being less than a week away, we as a society need to pull together to change our attitudes around. Pay for the person in front of you's meal at the drive through, volunteer at a charity that needs help or simply just use kind words toward others and continue that love from person to person. Love, kindness and gratitude should extend above and beyond December, and that should be our New Year's Resolution. Start to reflect upon yourself and really reach deep within to make yourself a better person.

Let's make 2017 a year filled with love and kindness and put the mistakes of 2016 behind us and start new.