what about this year?

A new year, a new beginning ... sort of. The past year is still a reality, but nonetheless it's always fun to anticipate what this new year will hold.

Talking with people around here about the New Year and their hopes for the future almost 100% include doing something great, or having a fulfilling year, or being able to look back this time next year knowing they have lived the past year to the fullest.

I was listening to a man (around 60yrs of age) talk about how he felt he had missed out on doing some things in 2008 that he'd wished he'd have the chance to do over. This year he said he "wants to do something heroic, to just have the chance to do something heroic would make my year."

Crazy that at most all new beginnings for most all people across the board the common feeling is "this time I'm going to do it with all that I have, I am going to live it up and enjoy life to the fullest." Living life to the fullest notably signifies different things for different people. For some life fulfilled is based on personal accomplishments, the amount of money one accumulates, the time spent with loved ones, the fulfillment of a degree or program, etc., however the end result is common -- in the end a person is found who, at the end of the day (week, year, etc), is able to look back and be content that their past moments could not have been spent any better.

If the desire of the majority of humanity is to live life fully (again a meaning which varies for each individual) where does that desire come from and how are we to satisfy that desire?

How can we be sure that this time next year we don't simply wish for such a notion of contentment but are actually able to look back and see that we did just what we had hoped and more? What about this year will make it any different from the thousands before? What will make this year good enough? Are there even answers to such questions? I definitely believe so, which is something to be discussed on a later date.