When you see a smile like that on the face of an Angel. There is just no way to be anything BUT hopeful for the upcoming New Year.

Most folks begin the new year with resolutions of how they are going to improve. I have never done that. I have always viewed that as setting myself up for some sort of failure so instead I decide what I want to NOT forget and what I want to keep as part of who I am and what I want to let go of.

This year I definitely do not want to forget all the support and extended friendship I have received from all over the world. I have earned the right to be who I am by living as I have so I want to keep that confidence in myself. I have learned even more patience, found that if I dig just a little bit deeper I can find something to be positive about and I am stronger than I ever imagine myself to be. Those are all more things I want to keep.

I will toss away as much as possible other people's expectations of how I should live my life. I will not allow another's immaturity to rule my way of thinking and I will walk away from stupidity. Life is too short to allow trivial matters to rule my attitude.

The greatest act of control any person has is the *Ability to control your own Attitude*.

To often we hear this phrase "Well if he hadn't have said that...or if she hadn't have done that...." "Then I wouldn't feel or act or be doing...whatever".

It amazes me that folks hand over control of their attitudes like it is nothing. I am mad and acting like an idiot because of what someone else did or said. So it matters little or nothing that you have just handed control of your very emotional and physical well being at that moment to someone who probably cares nothing about it. WOW.... and yet folks sit there and think they are in control of themselves.

Think about the next time you are acting out something. Are you acting or RE-acting? Are your actions based on how YOU feel or are you telling yourself that its the other person's fault that you are acting this way. They MADE you mad/sad/glad.

If you do make New Year's resolutions think about adding *Ownership of your own actions and attitude* to the list. If you don't and you are like me, just seeking to improve yourself however and when ever you can do the same thing.

YOU are teh only one who can CHOOSE how you feel about anything. Yes, you can CHOOSE to be mad/sad/glad due to whatever another person has done to you or around you. The point is that YOU take OWNERSHIP of yourself and not place the responsibility of your action or re-action on another.

Now SMILE you have a whole new year to screw yourself up :-)

see ya on the flipside gaterites....................