Be New!

It’s the first day of the new semester. New classes. New students. New opportunities. But especially new things to learn.  But as you all know, I am not the only one beginning the “new.” You are all embarking on a new year. It’s been said so much we don’t really stop to think about what new means. So let’s look at the word new.

One of the definitions for the word new is “being other than the former or old.” We can think of that as a statement that 2012 is not 2011. In other words we can simply assume that the present time will be different than the former time. But that doesn’t inspire us much. Instead we can think about the fact that life can be different from the former or the old. That opens up all kinds of possibilities.

With this definition new means that the things that happened in 2011 or before don’t predict what will happen in 2012. Life is new and not a repetition of what went before. 2012 is full of new friends, new opportunities, and new things to learn. It is waiting for you to experience and how you experience it is a choice.

So whatever the past has brought, forget about it. Good or bad, the new year is NEW and it is waiting for you to experience it. Look forward with anticipation and excitement. Expect the best. Be something other than the former or the old!