Blog by: Lata Advani Viseu

I can see clearly now the rain is gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
It’s gonna be a bright (bright)
Bright (bright) sunshiny day
I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash

Here we go again…with another New Year dawning, we can only hope that there will be bright sunshiny days ahead for all of us. The last couple of years have been rough for many but after the rain, I know the sun will shine again.

No New Year’s Resolutions for me, but it is symbolic, as one year ends and another one begins, to want to start fresh, to make up for last year’s promises that were not kept, to do better next year.

If there is anything that I have learned, it is that I can set all kinds of goals, but the devil is in the details. It is the little things that I do daily that will help me achieve my goals. I am not sure when it finally clicked but instead of setting lofty goals every year, I made some really small changes in several areas of my life and focused on doing them daily without thinking of the next day.

I started with meditating for one minute because I could not focus or concentrate longer than that. I realized that starting small and taking it one day at a time worked best for me.

I decided to let go of fear and judgement and just write. If anything, I did it to remind myself how far I had come, to let go of shame, guilt and mistakes of the past and, in the process encourage others to do the same.

It has been over five years and eight months since I wrote my first blog. I admit, in the beginning it was a struggle, and the first few blogs were not that great but slowly they got better, and it felt great when people told me that it resonated with them.

It is never too late to start anything. It took me over ten years of going to school part time and working full time to get my degree in Business Management. I took a few courses every semester and eventually it was done a decade later.

All I know is that once you decide on something, you have to take the first step and not worry about the end result because you will eventually get there if you persist.

It takes only a moment to make a decision to change. In one second you can decide to stop playing the victim, blaming someone else for your sorrows, making excuses and instead take responsibility for your own life. Sometimes that is all it takes to make a bold decision to change something.

Some things that I do daily which have helped me stay sane these last couple of years are; meditate daily, write at least three things I am grateful for daily, journal my thoughts and feelings, exercise, listen to inspiring podcasts, read or listen to audio books, take online courses, listen to music, walk or, dance if it is too cold to walk outside. I also keep a list of small and large items on my bucket list and scratch them off as I complete them.

We all know what we need to do to live a healthy balanced life; eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, find ways to let go of stress, have a positive mindset and all the other good stuff. I believe that in the end everything will work out for the best, so we need to hang on to hope and trust that the Universe always has our back. In the meantime, all we can do is our share by working on the little things daily to get us to where we want to be at the end of the year.

Life is too short to worry about what other people think. Do what makes you happy and if you change your mind and want to do something else, just do it.

Wishing you all a happy, peaceful, and successful year ahead. Thank you for taking the time to read my blogs.

“People do not decide their future, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures” – F.M. Alexander

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” —J.P. Morgan

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.” —Brad Paisley

“Each year’s regrets are envelopes in which messages of hope are found for the New Year.” —John R. Dallas Jr.