Does our past become the foundation for our future?  This week is a time of transition from old to new, past to present. As tempting as it is to make fresh resolutions for the New Year, using the brickwork of the past is more comfortable and realistic… evolution not revolution. Elbert Hubbard, the philosopher, said, "Little minds are interested in the extraordinary; great minds in the commonplace.” So what’s familiar and commonplace?  Let’s look at the brick and mortar of yesteryear to build a strong foundation for this coming year.

I don't mean to throw a lot of bricks at you at once, but here’s my list in the order the thoughts come to mind:

Being kind is more important than being right.

There’s no controlling life, only embracing it.

Sometimes all we need is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer we get to the end, the faster it goes. (I read this somewhere.)

The small happenings are what make life so spectacular.

Asking for what we want is the most likely way to get it. (And “no” is not the end of the world.)

When we rush, we trip and fall.

Happiness and bitterness can’t be in the same place.

Even stubborn, cranky, ill-tempered people want to be appreciated and loved. (I know this first hand.)

Love and laughter, not time, heals all wounds.

Nobody likes advice. (Unless it’s your profession and clients agree to pay for it.) 

Gratitude is better than attitude.

Everyone deserves respect.

Brick by brick let’s build the foundation for a happy new year. There’s nothing extraordinary on this list; the ideas are head-nodding familiar. But whether it’s my list or yours, promise NOT to lift all the bricks at once.

This year let’s be gentle, no weighty promises or pressure… easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Wishing you a happy 2016… one brick at a time.