We can almost see it—2017, the new year, is about to arrive. It carries a big suitcase loaded with hopes, opportunities, challenges, adventures, goals, dreams, and more. And I believe we are all wondering the same questions: What’s in that suitcase with my name on it? What will the future hold? The answer is simple: 2017 will bring us what is best for us and all the things we are ready to receive. Are your arms open? Is your heart open? Are you ready to embrace the new opportunities this year will bring?

Every new year comes with new opportunities and challenges for each of us. They come in different shapes, colors, and sizes, in different ways, and at different times. We all receive at least one chance to improve our lives, discover our true selves, develop our character, and become the best version of ourselves. That’s the purpose of these opportunities and challenges.

When I say that 2017 will bring us what is best for us and what we are willing to receive, I mean that God and life are always ready to give us what’s best for us—those new opportunities that push us forward. The problem is that we’re not always willing to accept the gift of a new challenge. It could be due to fear, doubt, uncertainty, or maybe because we prefer to stay in our comfort zone or don’t like what the gift looks like. So, we refuse these new opportunities, letting them slip away and miss our chance to improve, develop, grow, and evolve.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering ‘it will be happier’…” – Alfred Tennyson

The new year can bring both positive and “negative” things. By positive, I mean things like a new job, a new relationship, a raise, a trip, any kind of material possession, the achievement of a goal, a dream come true, a new home, another child, or any other good thing that may happen to us. By “negative,” I mean the opposite: the loss of a job, more debt, the end of a relationship, the loss of a possession, or failure in some aspect of our lives.

What do we all want in this new year? More positive things and fewer negative ones. But what if those negative things also have meaning? What if they happen for reasons we don’t yet understand? The truth is, they do. The key is to discover their purpose—perhaps they’re meant to teach us a new lesson, help us improve ourselves, give us the chance for better things, or simply push us to develop the greatness within us.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor E. Frankl

Remember, it’s not what happens outside of us—our external circumstances—that matters most. What truly matters is how we respond to those circumstances. No matter what happens to us, at any given moment, we have the power to decide how we feel and how we’ll respond. So, face this new year with courage and optimism. Be ready to receive the gifts of 2017. When opportunity—whether positive or not—knocks at your door, seize it, and give your best to create the outcomes you desire. Always remember, no matter what happens, you are the creator of your own destiny!

Let’s say goodbye to 2016 with happiness and gratitude. No matter what happened, we survived, and no one can take away the lessons we learned, the wonderful moments we experienced, and all that we gained from it. Let’s carry the good memories and important lessons into this new year. Leave behind what no longer serves you, and welcome 2017 with open arms, hope, courage, and enthusiasm. Be ready to face any challenge. Don’t surrender in the face of adversity. Transform the negative into the positive, use every circumstance to your advantage, and never lose the chance to create the life you imagine!

A new year is coming, and 2017 brings 365 new opportunities. If we’re ready to take them, they will help us become the people we’re meant to be so we can create the life we yearn for, the one we deserve, and the one we are capable of living. Happy New Year!