The following columnists are being considered to become the Tribune’s new weekly columnist. Please send your thoughts about the columnists to Managing Editor Sarah Stultz by email at sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com or by mail at 808 W. Front St. Please clarify in your comments whether your remarks are intended to be printed as a letter to the editor or simply read by the Editorial Board.

 

Guest Column by Jana Smith

 

Exercise equipment, videos and books promising sculpted bodies and sharper minds are prevalent this time of year. Tubs and totes of every color adorn the aisles of local retail shops. Is this a marketing ploy? Why are both of these items merchandised together other than for the individual purposes they serve? Is it for the fact that soon after the wellness challenge is taken, there is a need to hide all evidence of what has disillusioned us, at least until the next year when a new resolution is made?

I’m all for an opportunity to start fresh, wanting to do better and be better. I admire those who set their sights on running a marathon and diligently run more miles in a day than I put on my van in a week. Or there are those who decide they want to quit a job they’ve been going to for most of their lives in pursuit of doing something they really love.

In fact, I have lofty goals of my own each Jan. 1. My husband can now recite those goals for the new year without a word escaping my mouth, because he has heard me share the same ones year after year. Unfortunately, I am one of the many who attempts to become more intentional and efficient in my daily activities only to quickly fall into my old patterns.

But who says 2019 can’t be different for people like me? I mean, if at first we don’t succeed, let’s try again and again and again. And that is just what I aim to do this year.

I challenge you to do the same. Take advantage of the opportunities that come your way.

I would like to write more this year. It has always been an interest of mine. There is something magical about hearing the clicks of my keyboard expressing the thoughts in my mind.

On Dec. 26, I was given an opportunity to write a column and submit it to the Albert Lea Tribune. Perhaps that opportunity ends with this one column, but to have seized the chance to do something out of the norm inspires me to take the next step and continue to grow and learn.

Grab a hold of those challenges that inspire you to be better. Read a book, look for someone to mentor, offer a word of encouragement, learn an instrument, creatively and regularly do random acts of kindness, take up writing or go on a weekend getaway to come up with your own ideas to make 2019 an unforgettable year.

I look back at all the years, and they are many, I have told my husband I wanted to start a meal plan and organize the closets in my house. Had I followed through in any one of those years, my house would be significantly less cluttered and I would probably be creating some exceptional culinary delights in my kitchen by now.

So, here’s to an opportunity-filled 2019. Grab a workout video, a tote or whatever it is that will inspire you. Together, we can resolve to be a better us.

Jana Smith lives in Albert Lea with her husband. Their two children and their families live in the area as well. She works for American Greetings as a merchandiser.