Thinking About New Year's Resolutions? Try This Instead.

As the final days of 2011 tick down, the traditions of marking the passing of one calendar year into another come to the forefront for many. Whether its partying with friends and loved ones, counting the seconds down till midnight, or making resolutions for the coming new year, many of us mark the occasion. I also have a tradition of reflecting on the year past, and looking forward into the next. But what I like to do is consider who has come into my experience in the previous year and recognize how my life has been enriched as a result.

The world is speeding up – or so it seems. How often do we take the opportunity to reflect on a friendship or acquaintance and what it has gifted us with? How often do we take a look at all the little things that others have brought into our experience that has made our own world and the experience of it better? Then how often do we tell the these people how they have been a blessing to know and share the journey with? Not as often as perhaps we should.

So I have a bit of a personal tradition in the week leading up to the new year of trying to do just that with a few of the people who have made my experience of the world a better place. Sometimes it is a good friend I met that year, and I let them know what it is that makes them special in my eyes. Sometimes its someone who touched my life only briefly, but made me laugh or feel good at just the moment I needed it most.

I highly recommend that you give it a try. I guarantee that you will get more out of the process than you could ever give. It is in part a way of reflecting on your own year and its challenges and triumphs. It is also a way to look forward with awareness and anticipation of how your new year may yield some wonderful surprises - through both new acquaintances and ones made in the year past. You may also glimpse how you might benefit others as well in the coming year whom you haven't even met yet.

As I wrote these handful of notes this year, it occurred to me that for the first time I wanted to acknowledge how a community has impacted my life – the ATS community. I joined in the spring of 2011 purely as a vehicle to stay informed and aware of the news not heard in the MSM, as well as being able to get the viewpoints of others on the goings on of the world. Simple as that. And while ATS has certainly fulfilled these expectations, it has surprised me much more in how it has contributed to my own journey.

I have read threads and posts from members that have reinforced my belief in the absolute best humanity has to offer; I have read others that have left me in utter disbelief and grief about the state of our collective psyche and our world. I have laughed much and cried some. I have indeed been informed and learned a lot, but what leaves the biggest impression on me is the people who I've come to know and share a small part of my life's adventure with.

So thank you epic thread writers for challenging me intellectually and expanding my horizons. Thank you to all the thoughtful post writers for helping me see another perspective. And especially thank you to all of you who I've been able to get to know a bit along the way. In the spirit of the moment, I will even say thank you to the trolls for helping me learn patience, and giving me an outlet for my frustration when I wasn't.

So onward and upward into 2012. It should be quite a wild ride.

Thank you for this wonderfull thread!

Starting to reflect about this year in 3...2...1....

What a lovely idea ..we don't tell the "real people who matter" enough. We get wrapped up in our own worlds. I will this year!!

ATS also had a profound impact on me this year and I really would also like to extend my thanks to the prolific members of the community. Most of all the staff, who largely do a brilliant job running such a wonderful service.

But my gratitude extends to the good, the bad and the ugly. It's been so great - the wise, the trolls, the geniuses, the close-minded, the too-open-minded, the nibiru crowd, the new age enlightenment gurus and everyone else who provided so much insight, laughter, anger and relief.

Asides from that, I learned a hell of a lot but it's been a pretty depressing year the world over. Let us also take a moment to remember all those who suffered for freedom, false freedom and greed.

My new years resolution? To stay alive. Everything else I will improve on a daily basis.

Let's hope this time next year, we'll be pointing fingers and laughing at the 2012 doomsday crowd - rather than the other way around!

ATS has also had a profound effect on me. It is the first forum I've seriously ever participated in and this is not only because many of the forums interest me deeply, but I've finally found a group of people who can discuss and criticize my points of view in an (overall) polite and intelligent way.

Prior to ATS I used to be quite the troll and had been banned several times from a few forums. But I have since matured (to a point ) and this is in no small part due to the type of crowd who post here - you guys make me want to genuinely participate in an intelligent way and for that I want to thank you all.

The weird thing was I only discovered ATS while looking into 'Reptilians' which is a subject which I pay little heed too at all as conspiracies aren't really what I'm all about. And here I am now checking into a conspiracy forum website almost on a daily basis.

Happy New Years everyone. I wish you all only the very best for the year ahead.

Amor et Lux