The beginning of a new calendar year is always a good time to reflect on the previous 12 months and set some goals for the future.<\/p>\n
During this time of the year I am often reminded of the poem \u201cThe Dash\u201d by Linda Ellis. The poem refers to the dates on a person\u2019s tombstone, the birth year and year of death, separated by a dash<\/em>.\u00a0The poem makes the point that the dash represents what you did with your life from the time you were born until your death.\u00a0<\/p>\n Were you a loving parent? An accomplished researcher?\u00a0Community volunteer?\u00a0Respectful child?\u00a0Maybe you were the person who thought right before passing: \u201cI hope I activated my autoreply.\u201d Or maybe you were the person who during that last minute thought, \u201cWow.\u00a0I lived my life intentionally and I invested my time wisely.\u201d<\/p>\n I propose that instead of a dash, this year and every year after we substitute the dash with an exclamation point to symbolize a life lived purposely and intentionally, with excitement and gusto!<\/p>\n How should we achieve this goal? Perhaps by focusing on a short list of activities or things that we may want to try, and setting a time period to complete them to make sure we hold ourselves accountable. Or perhaps make spending time with family and friends a higher priority?<\/p>\n What about setting boundaries between ourselves and our technological habits, such as our cell phones? That way, when we are in a meeting, catching up with a friend at a caf\u00e9, or having dinner with our family, we can really be in the moment, instead of missing the interaction because we are consumed by \u201ccapturing\u201d the moment \u00a0on camera so that we can enjoy it \u2013 later.<\/p>\n After all, it\u2019s not about the destination, but the journey \u2013 the everyday; the little things that in retrospect will become the big things, or the fond memories we will retreat to during challenging times.<\/p>\n Or what about making it a goal this year to do something great, something we can all do:\u00a0volunteer. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., \u201cEverybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace.\u201d<\/p>\n Volunteering or serving to improve one\u2019s community is something we can all do. For some reason, people make volunteering seem like too much of a burden. They become overwhelmed by the thought of becoming involved, because they say they don\u2019t have time, don\u2019t know where to begin, or don\u2019t consider themselves equipped with a skill unique enough to be appreciated or in demand. \u00a0However, there are many ways in which you can exercise good citizenship and involvement that will probably lead to a happier, more exclamation-centric life \u2013 over the simple dash.\u00a0<\/p>\n I invite you to explore mentoring a student or a younger professional, serving on a committee at your local YMCA or chamber of commerce, or reaching out to one of the many nonprofits in your area. Whether you are passionate about the arts, the wellbeing of animals, making connections on behalf of the local Boys & Girls Clubs, or lending your expertise through a community advisory board, there\u2019s an organization or an individual you can positively impact, with little or no financial outlay required.<\/p>\n And the best part is that, more times than not, you will derive just as many benefits than the entity or organization by way of receiving personal fulfillment and a greater sense of community.\u00a0<\/p>\n So this year, join the exclamation point movement and make it your best year yet!<\/p>\n