2012: A New Year

At 11:59 on Saturday night, I watched the New Year's Ball drop in Times Square from my television. Like many others, I thought of the New Year and what I could do with it. For many of us, a new year is more than just a change of a number on our calendars. A new year means new beginnings, new opportunities, and a whole new mindset. Admittedly, I am not one for keeping my New Year's Resolutions. Though I create astronomically long lists every December 31st of all of things I would like to do better for the upcoming year, I tend to get tired of trying to change my awful habits by January 2nd. Considering I just spent this January 2nd eating Chicken Fried Chicken at Cracker Barrel, I think it's safe to say that I have already given up on the "EAT HEALTHY!" bullet point on my list.

Even though my habits sometimes remain the same, the world is changing. This is my last year at Manhattanville College, and I will have to leave no matter what. I can hide behind school books, the programming binder, and my friends all I want, but I have now reached the year that I will graduate from college. In elementary school I used to count the numbers on my fingers and say, "I will graduate from college in (gasp!) 2012!!",  never thinking that a number that large could ever exist. But alas, here we are. 

I simply do not have the time to delay the changes, the resolutions, and the improvements. I have reached the point in my life where I can either accept my Cracker Barrel eating self for who I am, or make the very big decision of changing. Either way, I must do what is right for me; I must find my own voice. (In case you were wondering, that WAS a shameless plug-in for the Leadership Conference. It's on Saturday, February 18th, 2012 in Reid Castle, by the way,)

The time is now. Are you ready?

- Lisa Marie Hunt, Manhattanville College Leadership Conference Committee Member