My Dear Family, Friends, Friends of Friends, and New Friends-

As 2016 comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on the year in its entirety. Let's be honest. This year has been absolute garbage for several reasons. Recently, regardless of which social media app I would be using, there are numerous posts about how terrible 2016 was and how 2017 has to be amazing. As much I agree with the comments on 2016, I think we have to sit and think about how we are going to make 2017 amazing. It is so important to remember that not every aspect of our lives are in our control.The only thing we can do is take action and make the year great for not just ourselves, but for each other.

It is very easy to tweet "2017, you better be good to me". It is much more valuable to actually do something that can make a positive imprint on 2017. New Year's Resolutions come to mind. Setting goals for yourself may be stressful, but there is a fine line between being stressed out and being too lazy to create results. Do yourself a favor, make a goal (small or big) for yourself each week, and make it a necessity to complete that task/achieve that goal. We are all lazy and sit on our asses, watching the years go by. Would you rather look back and see how much you have achieved in your lifetime, or realize that you spent more time on your phone than you did making true memories?

Life is so short. We never know what can happen or when we will take our last breath. Instead of asking this coming year to treat you well, take it upon yourself to take the initiative and make your year the best one yet. In a world crowded with sadness and negativity, it wouldn't hurt to spread some love and happiness. From small acts of kindness to grand gestures of love, you can make, not only your year great, but someone else's.

I may not be able to speak for all of you, but I can speak for myself. 2016 was a terrible year for me and I am ready to make 2017 a year of change, happiness, success, and love. I will create goals that I will achieve. I will take any opportunities to learn and grow. I will try my very best to leave a positive mark on someone/the world. I want to leave this world better than the way I found it. You can do that, too. We just have to get up and do it.

Here's to a New Year filled with new possibilities. I wish you all nothing but the best, and that you achieve every goal you create.

With love,

Dragana