One of my dear friends, Patti, who had been diagnosed with a cancer for which  there is no known cure, said as she was preparing for the results of her CT scan  which would indicate if she needed to go through yet another round of  experimental intensive chemo, “You know, it is hard to be positive all of the  time – it is just too exhausting… but I found I can remain hopeful.  I am always  hopeful.”

In her book, “My Stroke of Insight”, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, referring to her  eight-year recovery from a massive stroke, tells us that if the boundary between  what you can do and what you cannot do is not clearly defined, then you don’t  know what to try next.  Her key message: “recovery can be derailed by  hopelessness.”

Both of these amazing women, when faced with life-altering challenges – even  while recognizing their lives would never be the same – spoke of hope.  We can  learn from them and recognize that no matter what we are going through as a  nation, a family, or are experiencing in our careers – it is when we remain  hopeful that we can define and find the resources within to get us to the next  step.

It is the hope that you can manage through the challenge of change to live a  secure life… a healthy life… a fulfilled life… that will push you to focus your  thoughts and invest your time in the work required to move you closer to your  goals.  When we have hope, we can imagine a better life and we can choose to  lead our life in a way that will have a positive impact on our tomorrow. We  don’t need to be stuck when we have hope as a beacon.

Ken Blanchard once said, “Leadership is the capacity to influence others by  unleashing their power and potential to impact the greater good”.   This is a  time for the leader within us to emerge stronger and more resilient. With the  current trials we all face, it is sometimes difficult to be an optimist, but  with hope, we have the power to influence and impact the greater good – for  ourselves, our families and our communities.

Let hope be the seed that inspires you to work through any challenges you may  face and look past fear to imagine a life filled with new opportunities.

This is the time of year when many of us think about resolutions – of changing something in our life to make it better, happier, healthier, more prosperous.

As I watched the 1962 classic “The Music Man” this weekend, I was reminded of Thomas Jefferson’s quote, “Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today” when Professor Harold Hill (Robert Preston) told the Librarian, Marian (Shirley Jones), “If you pile up enough tomorrows, all you will have is a bunch of empty yesterdays”.

Achieving “full” yesterdays that are aligned with your goals (avoiding the “woulda, coulda, shoulda”) may require you to make new habits or change old ones – something that cannot be put off until tomorrow. Whether your resolution is to read more, eat less, work smarter, add a practice of meditation, exercise more patience, get to bed earlier, have a more positive outlook, be more organized, get fit – or any other goal – achieve it by starting now and by taking one small step at a time as you become aware of your opportunities to change. Ask yourself what is holding you back? It is in the very moment when you notice what you could or should be doing that you have a choice and the power to make or break habits. Don’t expect change will automatically happen because you made a resolution. It will take multiple starts, a lot of awareness, successful repetition – and time – to adjust your thoughts and behaviors.

As you start your new year, make a point to notice your opportunities each day, hour and minute to choose the action that will make your yesterdays full.

Wishing you a prosperous, full and “woulda- coulda- shoulda-free” Happy New Year!