Each day is a new start. Each moment is a beginning. How does today mark a "beginning" in your life?

I used to have a refrigerator magnet that said, "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."  When I first saw the saying I thought it was very wise, but with overuse it morphed into something trite.

I recently perused a book about this very subject. I can't recall the title right now, but it was written by Harold Becker. Some things he wrote have struck with me; here's a brief synopsis:

Every moment of every day we have a choice, whether we are conscious of it or not. Our choices create our reality. Many of us fall into the trap of believing that what we experienced in our past is destined to be our future. It takes a lot of strength and determination to quit blaming others and accept the responsibility of creating our own realities. We all the have power, the ability, and the imagination to make a different choice, embark on a new path, and modify our own futures.

Of course, as simple and easy as that sounds, changing myself is one of the hardest things to do, and the older I get, the more difficult it becomes. I know that it takes baby steps and doesn't happen overnight. For now, I think I will concentrate on two basic things:

• Start each new day with a blank canvas. Do my best to forget about what might have happened yesterday and concentrate on making today the best is can be.
• Be mindful of all my choices during the course of a day. Don't make these choices haphazardly. Pick a direction and stay with it.