The year 2015 rushed in with a glittery fervor and is drifting into history with a faded luster; the glitter has lost its shine, the fireworks have left behind smoke against the midnight sky, and 2016 just dances into view with a similar entrance.

While each year swirls new aspirations into our viewfinders and leaves behind a distinct collection of photographed memories, every year waltzes in and out of our lives with similar luminance. On Jan. 1, a blaring golden glow signifies the new year: fireworks, sparklers, and people decked out in shimmering garb.

So, with black pumps, a sequin dress and some funky accessories (glasses, beads, paper hats) emblazoned with the new year's new digits, people celebrate the chances that await in the next 12 months and lament the loss of the preceding 365 days.

When the clock strikes midnight, and it was officially a new year ("Hello, 2016!"), pots and pans clamored against the crisp air as fireworks disrupted the navy slate sprinkled with twinkling stars. Resolutions were sworn upon, love was sealed with a kiss, and the previous year was left behind.

But this moment at 12 a.m. on Jan. 1 is a warped reality where a new year means a "new you" and a forgotten past -- regrets were temporarily erased and the possibility to completely change oneself and leave yesterday behind seemed tangible. However, after four insufficient hours of sleep (five, at best), it was just a new day; one's past was still snapped into photographic history and the centrality of one's being was essentially the same as it had been the day before -- the year before.

But that doesn't mean that the ambition you felt as you smiled up at the cheering fireworks whose luster competed with the brightest stars needs to vanish with this belittling realization. And maybe, some people have already given up on their resolutions and indulged in their usual vices just because they realized that 2016 didn't automatically mean change. But the entire course of 2016 (and beyond) can mean change. Remember that this year will indeed bring about a plethora of opportunities -- not because it's a new year, but because this is life.

Life -- with its picturesque Polaroids as well as its regrettable mugshots -- is a bundle of unique moments, a photo album comprised of the candidness of humanity. And the new year is a new set of sleeves with spaces to add new photographs -- it is an addition to the timeline you've already created, not an entirely new one. And that's the true beauty of a new year -- it's the acknowledgment of more opportunities -- more dazzling memories in conjunction with the old. This year, let's ignite the blaring golden glow throughout the entire year -- don't let the ambition, the excitement of New Year's Eve fade into a dulled dim of monotony. Each and every day of 2016 -- up until that dignified Dec. 31 -- holds hope, not just the first.