Happy New Year!

 

2011.
The start of every year is marked with newness and resolutions.  Promises to yourself and others to be better, do better, take charge, change.

On New Year's Day, I stumbled upon this motivational piece from Ralph Marston:

January 1, 1999 

This is your year. It starts today. You've been put in charge of it. You've been given complete control. It is fresh and new, waiting to be broken in. How it turns out is now up to you.

There are no limitations on how you can use this year. And don't worry, you'll find plenty of opportunities distributed throughout its days and moments.

The clock is running now. Your year has already begun. Though it seems today that you have plenty of time, the weeks will pass quickly, so take care not to squander them. Yes, there's plenty of time, but not enough to waste.

What will you do with this great new year? How will you make it the best one yet? You need to think about those things, and soon. Even now, your year is beginning to take shape.

This is your year. It's not a test or a trial run. It's the real thing, and it is here. It is a magnificent opportunity, and one which will not wait. This is your year. See it. Imagine it. Live it. Enjoy it. Make it great.

That year, I was 17 and entering the last semester of my junior year.  I had been a "student trainer" for all of my high school career and was deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I had a boyfriend who was about to graduate, and overall my future was uncertain.  Upon reflecting, I'm positive I didn't use that year as I should have.  I wished it away so I could "just turn 18," "just graduate" and do a number of other things that I couldn't wait to do.

As I began to get nostalgic and wish I had been smarter at 17, I read this year's motivational entry...

 January 1, 2011  

This is it. Your New Year is here. Though you cannot go back, you can do even better than ever as you move forward. No matter how many other years you've already seen, you can make this the best one yet. 

Of course there are plenty of challenges, and more are likely to be on the way real soon. But you've already come through a whole lot of them, and now you can put all that experience to positive and meaningful use. 

Glance back for a moment and you'll clearly see that life is always what you choose to make it, no matter what else might be going on. Now look forward with a renewed determination, and make the choice to live with more meaning and richness than ever before.

In your heart, you know why. With your considerable experience of living, you know how.

As this New Year begins, look forward to the opportunity you now have of experiencing life at a new and more fulfilling level. On this very first day of the year, look forward to being the best you've ever been at being you.

My life has been the sum of my decisions.  I cannot change the past, but I can greatly influence the future.
The same is true for athletic training.  People are too focused on what is or what has been.  Calling for name changes and lamenting about "good old boys."

Athletic training is a profession of the future.  Young professionals are the future of athletic training and I'm confident that 2011 will be the year of the young professional.  We need to look forward and not waste any time.

What do you want to change about the future of athletic training?