Today is the first working Monday of the new year. All the schools are back in session. The morning commute here in Los Angeles is packed again. The neighbors are all back from their holiday family trips.

Happy New Year! Or is it?

For many this is a tough year to celebrate the ringing in of a new year.

The economy is still limping along. Unemployment is still a painful reality, either for themselves or someone they know personally.

Job security feels fragile when one can be so easily replaced.

Bosses are afraid of making mistakes, which is resulting in a depressing risk-averse conservatism in decision-making.

The advent of a new calendar year does present an opportunity, though.

Even if the optimism isn’t built in this year, we can choose to use the calendar to our advantage. Even if (especially if?) our spirits and energies are low, we can use the tool of the new year to choose an attitude shift within ourselves.

Even if circumstances are difficult and the outlook is bleak, we can choose to face and confront this reality rather than complain about it or wish it were otherwise. 

Yes, for many people it would be dishonest to exult “Happy New Year!” That things are difficult doesn’t mean, though, that it has to be a bad year.

So choose yourself a “Meaningful New Year!”. Give yourself a “Proactive New Year!”

There is no power in the world that can stop you from choosing to have an empowered, responsible, determined, creative, persevering, generous, and life-enhancing new year.

To those for whom this is a particularly difficult season, I pray we find our way together to making it a deeply worthwhile season.

On your side,

- Karl Edwards

Loving Monday is a weekly column designed to encourage us to step into our weeks with an intention to show up authentically, engage fully, and choose to make it a good week for ourselves. Explore past columns here.