In a world where it feels that truth is hard to find or positivity is an afterthought, the reality is that these two elements of life are closer to us than we may feel.

I see it in the people closest to me — family, friends, and many in our community. Limiting time watching the news or television, in general, has resulted in feeling more relaxed and focused.

I still enjoy sports, news, and some shows, but I mostly enjoy spending quality time with those around me. At the same time, I continue to reflect on where to place my focus in helping those in need, serving our community, and being a positive influence in life.

This leads right into our annual New Year’s resolutions, which may have already dissolved for many by now. If this is true, why is this the case? Could it be that resolutions are focused on the wrong things? That we haven’t really committed to the right changes needed in our life to fulfill us? Lack of accountability? Or maybe the changes we need are much simpler than the big resolutions we tend to make each year.

One of my “Pirozzi-isms” to those I mentor or groups I have spoken to is, “It’s not about time; it’s about want. If you want to do something, you will find the time.” When posing this to a group of students, one complained about not having enough time in the day to do homework. I asked if it was really about time or want. I asked, “How much time do you spend on social media? On your phone?” The student felt a little embarrassed and agreed the time spent on the phone was in hours and not minutes, which was taking time away from what was important, this student’s education. The student agreed to reassess time versus want when it came to studying and social media.

This comes back to resolutions, why many of them don’t stick, and why we find ourselves in the same old habits.

For me, resolutions are personal areas of focus that I need to improve, sustain, and achieve. For example, when I retired two years ago, it was not as joyous of an occasion as I thought it might be after all the years of working toward this life goal. It was 2020. I had battled the first string of COVID for three weeks, my father passed away, and then I retired. All of this happened within six months. Life stepped in and gave me personal demands during a time I felt lost and knew I had to keep moving forward, change my focus, and adjust along the way. So, the changes I felt necessary in my life were to improve my relationship with God, attend Mass on Sunday, pray the Rosary daily, and listen to The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz). Spending quality time with family has always been a priority, but being an empty nester now requires more attention. Taking care of my mom, donating more to charities, sharing my life’s experience, healthier living, and continuing to serve my community all make the list.

Lastly, I do my best to inject positivity through my social media posts, hoping to impact someone along the way. So, while delivering Meals on Wheels, a recipient thanked me for my post from a recent vacation with just Carolyn. I had started posting our trips so our parents could follow along with us on Facebook. The recipient said, “I just wanted to thank you for your pictures from your vacation because I can’t travel anymore, and they allowed me to travel with you.” I was really surprised but so appreciative of the feedback. I said, “Thank you, I will make sure to do it the next time we go on vacation.”

You never know who is watching, who you might impact, inspire, or help. So, join me this year with a concerted effort to self-assess what is important for you to improve, inject more truth and positivity into our world, make more time for God, focus on quality time with family, volunteer, donate, and truly appreciate what is around you. spt