It’s okay not to have great plans for next year.

It’s okay not to step into January 1st with a list of resolutions that are going to change your life and the world.

Can I offer you a suggestion for a simple goal that might not change the whole world but really will change your life?

Make it a goal to see other people.

I don’t mean the drama llamas that just suck down your energy and time or the neighborhood gossip section.

I mean the people who tend not to be appreciated. The folks at the grocery store or bank or library or post office. See the cleaning person at your work. Stop and ask how they are and listen. Remember what they said and mention it next time. Tell them you appreciate them.

See the person who always encourages everyone else. Just because they are upbeat doesn’t mean they aren’t dealing with stuff, too, and I can promise you that person does not get much encouragement from others.

See the people in your house. Notice the things they do well. The ways they try to be kind. Notice when they are not themselves. The world will tell them they aren’t important. They need you to tell them they are.

See the people who are part of your daily routine. Don’t just see if they do their jobs or not, whether they make your life frustrating or easier. See them. See the deep sighs. The worried looks, maybe the missing ring from the left hand that they never mentioned, or the off comments about the kids. Ask how they are. Drop a “praying for you” note or a rubber duck that makes them laugh. You get the idea. See them. And let them know you see them.

I know life is busy and there are screens that keep us blind to the actual world around us, and yes, you can probably get by just fine for another year just getting through. Lots of folks do.

Or.

You can change your life because it is impossible to see others and see their hard and see their gratitude or see their story with its laughter or its tears without being changed.

And who knows but maybe being seen will change their lives , too.

Jerri Kelley