Hopes and Happiness for the New Year

I spent much of last week talking to our students and adult residents about the new year. We discussed their hopes and dreams for the coming year, and their regrets and achievements of the past year and what they would like to do differently over the next 12 months. I wanted to share some of their comments with you.

“I want to be healthy and happy and all of that but what I really want is a girlfriend.” – 16 year old male

“Last year wasn’t so great but it was better than the year before that so that’s something, right?” – 23 year old female

“I want next year to be just like this year because I’m happy.” – 19 year old male

“I want to keep my job and my girlfriend. That’s all I want.” – 45 year old male

It struck me as I was doing these informal interviews that not one person said that they wanted to move or make any major change in their lives. I heard an overriding theme of happiness and contentment that I am certain I would not have heard if I had interviewed a typical population. Maybe that is their lesson to us: that it’s okay to want but in the end be happy with what you have and where you are.

With that I will leave you with perhaps my favorite quote of the year:
“2015 is going to be awesome because I’m awesome so how could it be anything else?”– 15 year old male

Patrice Carroll
Manager of PWS Services