The end of the year is one of my favorite times due to everyone being on the same mindset of wanting to do better. A period of self-reflection and self-doubt of what you have accomplished the past few months are in the air. You write down your resolutions that may include to lose weight or keep in touch with your family more. Time really is just a concept created by man but is an important tool in our life to evaluate progression, and as we get older, we start to cherish time more and want to create a legacy.

2018 for myself led me through tribulations and moments that I wasn't in control. It was a year of releasing expectations for my well-being. As I sat down and discussed with friends, the common ground was feelings not knowing what the future holds as people graduated, changed jobs, moved, lost loved ones, or even lost a piece of themselves.

For years I told myself I'd publish my poem book, but I didn't. For years I said I would get a new passport to travel more, but I didn't. For years I said I was going to run a 5k, but I didn't. But then one day I was tired of just saying and not doing. Last year I joined the odyssey to start writing articles. I ordered my passport. I found a publication and started writing my poems and set a date to publish it. What was the shift in me that finally acted? I was tired of not living a life for myself and thought of all the freedom and happiness it could bring me.

With failure comes preparedness to keep going and there is no right time to start an action. The decisions you make it for yourself and you are in control of your happiness, that should be the catalyst for your actions. Creating small realistic goals that can be accomplished in a set time, understanding what your boundaries of what you can handle, time management are some forms of action. If you live with intention to have a plan and action, then there is no reason to hold yourself back. I have been in awe of seeing people in my life create a platform of themselves through scratch just from a thought. People told them that they couldn't succeed due to support, money, or more education at times but they placed worth on themselves to keep going.

The cliché quotes, and positive messages displayed across our screens around new years there has truth to it, that the universe is rooting for you. So maybe New Years is corny, but can also be a push for yourself. Every action has a reaction, and therefore every small step you take into accomplishing whatever your goal may be, it will happen.