As the year 2017 begins, the air seems filled with more pessimism than usual. Maybe I am being a prisoner of the moment, but it feels like a lot of conversations begin with people complaining about the world today. I am guessing that the brutal election cycle has plenty to do with it, as people feel like taking sides is more important to listening to each other. There are those who are upset about the politicians that are in charge now, and those that are upset at the people upset about the politicians that are in charge now. Even I sometimes get frustrated, but it is mostly at the people spreading false information and speaking from a place of ignorance rather than being informed of the facts. And of course there are other things in the world that can affect your mood: if you care about animals, the extinction rate must be depressing; if you care about people, there is always human suffering in alarming quantities somewhere in the world; and if you care about money, there is certainly an air of uncertainty throughout the markets.

So what should we do? Well, ideally, focus on your self, and in your immediate family circle. Take the time to do something that improves your quality of life. Whether it is a taking a self-improvement class at the community college (I am looking for cooking lessons), or learning a new language, or creating a fun activity to spend some quality time with the family. Anything that you have been putting off, now it is the time. Because 2017 may not be the year in which you change the world, but it might be the year in which you change your world.