2019: New year, new chances

As we bid adieu to 2018 and welcome a new year, it's exciting to consider all the fresh, wonderful possibilities that await us.

Whether you aim to lose weight, start a business, have a child with your partner, buy a new home, or simply read the slew of books collecting dust on your shelf, a new year affords us the opportunity to assess our goals and work toward them in earnest.

And what better day to get cracking than on January 1? A new year means a clean slate -- a blank canvas waiting to be filled with your lines and splashes of color. While we're at it, why not make it into a masterpiece?

Having a great year necessitates keeping oneself focused on the present.

Resist the nagging urge to reflect on what you didn't accomplish or did wrong last year. Move on and focus solely on the ways you can make 2019 infinitely better than 2018.

Aim for progress. Rather than comparing yourself to your peers, compare yourself to the person you were on December 31, 2017 and ask yourself the following questions:

In what ways can I improve myself and, more broadly, my life -- whether physically, mentally, or emotionally?

Which people earned my trust this past year, and who did not? Whom should I aim to cultivate a better relationship with?

In what ways can I improve my finances? Should I look to find a better job, or is it just a matter of cutting back on certain things (e.g., eating out)?

How often did I refrain from sweating the small stuff?

Did I hold back from pursuing certain goals because I was afraid of failure and/or reluctant to come out of my comfort zone?

Did I take the time to appreciate the things and people I hold near and dear to my heart, or was I heavily preoccupied with acquiring new stuff?

Don't permit past mistakes to obstruct your path. As long as you believe in and show compassion toward yourself, you can achieve anything you set your heart and mind to doing.

Pretend to corral remnants of negativity in the air, wrap them into an imaginary ball, and toss it into the garbage bin.

I'm here to tell you that you can -- you will -- achieve great things in 2019. But don't rest on your laurels. Go out there and grab every opportunity to enhance your life you possibly can.

And if the naysayers say you can't achieve your goals, or they try to have their negative vibes rub off on you, kick them to the curb!

2019 should be synonymous with hope, change, growth, happiness, and positivity. Make every moment count. Infuse the year with variety, spontaneity, laughs, and spectacular new experiences you'll never forget.

As musician Brad Paisley said, "Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one."

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for reading, commenting on, and sharing my posts this year. I look forward to providing you with even more engaging content -- one of my top goals -- in 2019.

And I'd like to wish you and your family a wonderful New Year. Cheers!

Women vs. Men: Who likes to backstab more?

Whether it's on TV or in the workplace, the general consensus seems to be that women gossip, backstab, and stir up more conflict than men do. But, as with every other topic, I thought it only fair to put this so-called stereotype under the microscope. If you watch reality shows like Celebrity Apprentice, you'll notice it's the women who spend far more time bickering. While the men do at times become embroiled in tit for tat, it's the women who are portrayed as meaner and more hostile. In the workplace, I have noticed that women seem to gossip far more than their male counterparts. I haven't really seen any cases where a person blatantly backstabs the other, but I have caught both men and women in little white lies. If it is true that women are generally more into backstabbing and gossiping than men, why is this the case? I believe that it isn't fair to make a blanket statement like "all women play these games while all men keep to themselves and pre...

Do you have Isolophilia? Find out...

You're probably asking yourself, "What in the world does Isolophilia mean?" It sounds like it would be something negative, doesn't it? After all, words that end in "philia" (e.g., pedophilia) tend to involve things we want nothing to do with. But Isolophilia isn't something all people deplore. In fact, introverts like me welcome it. Put simply, Isolophilia is defined as having a strong affinity for solitude. It describes a person who relishes being alone. While extroverts can only take so much solitude, we introverts find that it rejuvenates us. In order to recharge our batteries, we need to retreat to a quiet environment where we we're left alone to rest and/or gather our thoughts. Extroverts, on the other hand, become bored and drained when they're alone for a lengthy period of time. Social interaction is the fuel that drives them. So while an extrovert would probably do anything to avoid feelings of Isolophilia in most cases, an...

Men prefer to marry brunettes

Study after study shows that men prefer blondes as girlfriends or mistresses and brunettes as wives . It seems many men see brunettes as more trustworthy and loyal. What's more, even though participants claimed that blondes are better in bed, they feel brunettes are better kissers and more affectionate than blondes. I find these results to be rather interesting. In my high school and early college days, I actually had a preference for blondes myself -- that is, until I hooked up with my now-wife. From that point on, I deemed brunettes as more attractive and marriage material, probably because they reminded me of and more closely resembled her. I think we can blame Hollywood, shows like Baywatch, and Playboy for painting blondes as wild, big chested, promiscuous and loose. (Yes, I know that there are brunettes in Playboy, but they seem to be in the minority.) When someone tells a man to think of an attractive blonde, who do you think likely crosses his mind? More likely than...

How to Read People

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