Happy new year! (Japanese and Portuguese)
These are all ways that we say "Happy New Year" to each other.
And we really mean it to you — we want you to have a really happy new year.
I want to share with you 7 ways to have a happy new year.
I plan on doing these things, and I hope you will too.
So number 1: Do the right thing.
Oftentimes the right thing isn't what feels good at the moment.
It's not always the easy thing to do.
You've heard it said "No pain, no gain." It's that same kind of idea.
If we think about what is the long-term win in situations, then we can think about what is the right thing.
What is going to be good for me. What is going to be good for my family, for my friends.
Number 2: Take a break.
In society today we run, we go, it's from one thing to another.
It's really easy to get drained.
We have to be more proactive than ever about taking a break.
Where it's like "OK, I'm not going to work, I'm not going to worry about all these different things I have to do."
"I'm going to take a break. I'm going to enjoy time with the family."
"I'm going to get out and do something."
When I do, I'm renewed.
My creativity starts flowing again, I have good, new ideas.
And I start enjoying life again.
Number 3: Try something new.
Trying something new is the way that we grow as people.
It's the way that we find out things that we like that we didn't know we liked before.
It's the way we enjoy new experiences that we never thought we could try before.
But if we don't let ourselves think outside the box, and let ourselves try something new, then we don't experience those things.
Number 4: Make new friends with people you respect.
It's easy to run around with the same crowd that you always have,
And that's good. We need those good relationships with people.
But then there's people that we respect,
People that we see that are doing something that we really admire.
And they have a lifestyle that we admire.
They're doing things the way that we would like to do them.
Those are people that I want to reach out and connect with.
So I can have a friendship with them, so I can learn from them.
And it helps me grow as a person.
Number 5: Be present.
Oh boy! In this day in age, we have these things everywhere, right?
They're in our pockets, we have our smartphones.
And let me tell you what — I love my smartphone.
But it can be one of the biggest distractions to enjoying a moment together with friends, with family.
It's so easy to be somewhere, but not be present.
Not be engaged with the people there, with what's going on.
So this year I'm going to make a focused effort to be present where I'm at.
And to be interacting with people.
Number 6: Be generous.
Society says that time and money are most important commodities.
But I would say they are not.
They are extremely important,
But the most important commodity we have is our relationships with others.
It's other people.
And time and money should be leveraged towards other people.
Towards building our relationships.
Towards building, also, our own lives.
And to do that, we need to be generous.
To be able to give to those who have a need.
To be able to invest in others.
That is a very gratifying thing.
And that leads into the last thing.
Number 7: Help others succeed.
We naturally think, and I naturally think, how can I succeed?
What can I do to improve myself?
What can I do to get ahead?
And those are fine things to think.
But something very interesting happens when we start thinking about "how can I help others succeed?"
How can I help my wife succeed?
How can I help my kids succeed?
How can I help my friends succeed?
How can I help other people that I don't even know succeed?
When we start thinking that way, we look at what is the need that people have.
Is there something that I have that I could help with that need?
I'll tell you what:
The best businesses,
The most amazing ministries and churches,
The best colleges and universities were started this way.
Looking at what the need was, and how can I fulfill it.
I'm going to fill that need.
And all of a sudden, as we fill that need, as we're helping others succeed,
It, in turn, makes us a success.
Because we're helping, we're enabling other people.
And that's the kind of person that I want to be.
Well, I hope this list has been great for you!
I wish you a happy new year as well!