A Perspective on 2016

Hi Everyone!

This is a special blog post. Normally, I do my Meredith's Monday Musings or I participate in a blog hop. However, with recent events and the end of 2016, I'd like to share some of my thoughts.

Lately, there have been many people, including myself saying, "Enough 2016" "2016 has been a horrible year", etc. I'll admit, 2016 has been a bit rough in some aspects. Many famous actors, writers, directors, etc have passed away. This is horrible because their creative light is no longer shining. Donald Trump got elected President. This scares the crap out of me because there are some who compare him to Adolf Hitler. It's a very scary thought that the President of the United States might implement some of the tactics that Hitler did.

As I was sitting on my couch yesterday watching the movie, To Kill A Mocking Bird, I realized that I've been focusing on the negatives of 2016, when I should have been focusing on the positives. By solely focusing on the negatives, I was starting to become depressed. So, I decided that it was time to count my blessings and turn my frown upside down! (FYI, a person uses twice the number of muscles to frown than to smile.)

It's Dec-29th and I'm healthy, I haven't gotten cancer or any other horrible illness. I have a roof over my head and a full stomach. I published three stories this year. I was able to spend Christmas with my family and send out presents to my friends. My family added a new edition to it (a puppy). I wasn't in any major car accidents. I have enough money to buy everything that I truly need. I work for a great publisher. I have great friends. I laughed twice as much as I have cried this year.

All of the above are focused on me, lets focus on some positives that we all experienced. The sun has risen every day this year. We do not live in a place that is constantly being bombed. We can watch the movies, read the books, listen to the songs, etc of all the famous people we have lost. We can vote and freely speak/write our opinions on any situation. We have all survived 2016. We are all a part of a fantastic author community.

So yes, we have lost many famous people this year and a scary man was elected President, but those events shouldn't control us or shape how our year was. We should focus on the positives, instead of the negatives, and think about all of the possibilities that come with the new year.

I believe that 2017 will be the year where many new creative talents are brought to light. We can fall in love with those new actors, writers, etc and cherish those who we have lost. And we may have a man for President who has no political experience and enjoys mocking others who are not like him, but I believe that he will unite people under one banner. And under that one banner, the people will not tolerate those who judge others based on their race, religion, where they came from, etc.

So yes, 2016 had it's rough spots, but it was not a bad year. As long as we stick together, help others out, and focus on the positives, 2017 will be our best year yet.

Happy New Year and Happy Thursday!