As the year ends, I’m kind of stuck on what to write about.

The news of late has been so overwhelmingly disturbing and dark.

The last twelve months have been full of political controversy, natural disasters and horrific events and stories.

My own little world has been shaken with the sudden death of my dad and I’m still grappling with it all.

Life is sometimes really scary and often very sad. It is messy, difficult and dark. 

A new start is always welcome and luckily each year we get just that in the potential of a new year.

I’m not making any huge New Year’s resolutions but in my heart I know I need to be more optimistic and look on the bright side of things.

It’s too easy to get caught up in complaining about everything under the sun. We complain about our jobs, our spouses, our children, our communities, our taxes, our government—everything!

Yes, for those of you who’d like to argue with me, I know that complaints are capable of bringing about change but sometimes complaints are just a way for an unhappy person to make everyone else around them unhappy.

That’s the negativity I want to avoid.

The more negative ideas, comments and thoughts we let in, the darker our lives, our communities and our worlds become.

I often wonder if the unthinkable tragedies we read about start with one bad action or comment that spirals into another and another and another. Maybe we can make little changes in our world by trying to say nice things that will go on and on and on and result in positive things.

We can't change everything, I know that, but I would prefer my world to be full of light, not darkness.

So, for me, the New Year means a bright beginning, I want to look past the darkness and find the light in whatever I can. I’m going to try to stop complaining and stop getting caught up in other’s grievances or grumbles.

It’s too draining and not worth it.

Life is getting shorter, I’m getting older and I want to surround myself in conversations and activities that build me up, not break me down or drain me. I want my children to find the good things in life, not be scared or slowed down because of so many bad things.

A New Year is a good time to make changes, I want to make positive changes.

One adverse comment, experience or thought can definitely do a lot of damage and spread like a disease.

I wonder how much light we can spread with one positive comment, experience or thought?

Happy New Year to all Patch readers!