There is more to life than increasing its speed. Mahatma Ghandi

How well you handle the closing one year and the beginning of another depends in part on your frame of mind. For many, New Year's Eve evokes memories of the good times experienced through the year, while others dwell on all the bad that has happened. I like to think I am the former. I like to look at how far I've come and how much I have accomplished  - but that is only part of the appeal of New Year's Eve.

Before me lies an open book ready to be written in - a chance to start anew, to make positive changes and choose how I will spend my time. In the words of Mahatma Ghandi, "There is more to life than increasing it's speed."

This year, I intend to be ever mindful of the use of my time. Not because I'm afraid of running out - but because time is too valuable to squander. This year, I will guard my time and spend more time on the things that really matter and less on the mind-sucking activities that lead me nowhere.

This year, I will slow down and work steadfastly toward my goals and dreams without the distractions of events and activities that lead me down other paths.

Today, I am grateful for the completion of another year, for all that I have accomplished in 2011 and for the opportunities 2012 will bring. I am grateful for the courage and vision to follow my dreams - even when the world around me looks bleak. 

I am grateful for a warm home that keeps me safe, for soft pillows on which to rest my head, and for socks. I am grateful for the droning snore of the dog, the gentle purr of the cat, and for the twitter of birds as they stop for food to eat. 

I am grateful for family and friends who never cease to amaze me, for neighbors who make me feel safe, and for strangers who paths I cross. 

I am grateful for writers who share their view of the world, for artists who capture the essence of life, and musicians who create for the soul. 

I am grateful for the beauty of the earth, the rays of sun as it breaches the horizon, and starlight that punctuates the night sky. 

And, I am grateful for you, dear reader, as you stop and share my day. May you always remember, "There is more to life than increasing its speed," as you go forward in the direction of your dreams.