Looking back on 2016, it’s been one ridiculous, unprecedented, and ODD year. Multiple musical icons and celebrities passing, many prematurely. Terror all around the world. Crazy people with guns making ME want to buy a gun (and I hate guns). An idiotic, bigoted demagogue winning the presidency largely thanks to the vast swath of ignorant, angry, entitled and fearful white men in America (most of them in the big void that is the middle of America). Corruption runs rampant with no effective checks and balances. Millions died this year from pestilence, disease and pollution that we don’t even hear about.

This little bit only scratches the surface of what a shitty year 2016 has been for the world. Yet here I am in this cozy room at my parent’s place, roasting logs on a fire, on a plush couch next to my little Lola, blogging away on my laptop.

I feel as though I’m in a bubble with this reality, and I’m under no illusion that I’m NOT in one. While I’m thankful for so many things in life, I often forget how much of the world is not as fortunate as I am sometimes. To have health, a family, a roof over my head, faith, and wealth to get by with – well, I understand why they describe us as in the 1% class. I try to think of the masses that are not as fortunate, and sometimes I can only imagine how daunting life can be. One thing I’ve come to learn is that for the great many who suffer in the world do so out of their own volition. Yes, there’s a great many who suffer that cannot control their circumstances, but these are truly the minority. I’ve seen firsthand people who have two hands, two feet (sometimes not even these), and pure determination and drive rise from the ashes of society to great success, so most of us have zero excuse to complain. Suffering by and large is in one’s own mind, and oftentimes the consequence of one’s own accumulated sets of actions. I know from my personal experience that this is true – at least in my life and the many people I’ve gotten to know over the years.

I understand that amidst struggles and suffering, it’s possible to forget to be thankful for who you’ve got, and what you’ve got in your life. It’s possible to need to inflate oneself, and put a front up for others to see. It’s possible to lie to others about one’s possessions, passions, intentions, vocations, and limitations. I’ve actually had this happen to me fairly recently, where someone told me things about their life that I knew to be false, obviously trying to show off some kind of glorious facade (that, sadly, wasn’t all that awesome of one anyway). Peering into the eyes of a face that is deliberately lying to you is an interesting feeling sometimes as it speaks volumes of a person’s character – but I digress.

To backtrack on this thought chain, I’m basically saying that I’ve seen that people largely inflict their own suffering on themselves. It then follows that people naturally forget to be thankful for what they have after the onset of suffering. Then, more evil is spawned from this, be it greed, duplicity, violence, loose lips, or other kind of scandal. Ultimately the vicious cycle of suffering continues on like a festering wound.

SO! On this Christmas day, to be thankful for family, friends, loved ones, and all the auspicious events and circumstances that have put us all where we are, I’m certainly taken aback by where I am in my life today, and in great thanks all around truly for everything.

We’ve got a week left in the year. It’s time to close the books on 2016 and start anew. The great opportunity that is 2017 knocks at our doors. So much to grow with health, wealth, and relationships.

That said, there is just this one last thing I need to do this year. . .