Many have breathed a collective sigh of relief that 2016 is over and we hope it has taken its nastiness with it. Throughout the holiday season as we tried to regain our holiday spirit once more and unearth our goodwill I heard again and again how everyone was so tired of all the strife and negativity. But, unfortunately, those conversations quickly devolved into just what we were lamenting was the problem.

You can’t get to positivity through negativity. Or can you?

Earlier this week, a friend of mine told me she is using all this unkindness and chaos as a catalyst to her being an even better person. Instead of spending time wondering what’s wrong with the world, she’s going to take all that wrongness and use it as fuel to improve.

Such a simple turn of a situation and yet it changes everything.
And it goes along with all the sage advice and adages we’ve heard:

“Be the change”

“What you focus on will flourish”

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”

“Peace is the way”

These sayings remind us to stop pointing our finger at others and turn it on ourselves.

What am I doing to help?
What am I contributing?

And if you question the power of one, consider how one person in your office can make you crazy for hours every day.
Remember how your sibling can set you off with a single word.

People, that’s power wielded in one body. At times, in one simple act.

Still not convinced? “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead knew it and deep down you do to.

When we work on ourselves we are working on the collective at the same time. We are all in this together.

If you don’t think that’s true spend time waiting in line for the women’s restroom and if the line gets long enough women start to take over the men’s room too. That’s what I call being in this together. Maybe that’s a hostile takeover but still… you get where I am coming from, right?

While 2017 is still shiny, hopeful and the new-car smell hasn’t worn off, let’s turn the tables on ourselves, shine the light on our actions, and ask all the right questions. And better yet, follow with all the right action.

Sunshine & Sarcasm,

Lowi & G