All my life's a circle; Sunrise and sundown;

Moon rolls through the nighttime; 'Til the daybreak comes around.

All my life's a circle; But I can't tell you why;

Season's spinning round again; The years keep rollin' by.

-Circle by Harry Chapin

Is life a circle or a straight line? 

There is a perfection about a circle, it is complete. There is something beautiful and exquisite about it.  This is the way that we mark the seasons, this is the way we follow the year. But life as a circle can also be suffocating, can also be frustrating, we are just running around in circles. Yes, there is something pleasing about a circle, yet there is something stifling and repressive about it as well. We never seem to get anywhere.

That is why some people prefer the idea that life is like a line, we are moving forward, we are getting somewhere, we have a goal, there is progress. There is also something scary about it. A new year is uncharted territory, the undiscovered country. There are no road map, so guidelines, no easy play book to follow.

May I suggest a third way: a spiral. We have the comfort and reassurance of the circle, with the progress and direction a line.

The question I have at the turning of the year is simply this: are you spiraling up or are you spiraling down? If up, what are you planning to do to keep going the way that you are, because without reflecting on it, we stop, we fade, we perish. If you feel you are spiraling down, do you feel you can turn it around, stop the tail spin that is your life and move in a new direction?

Many people joke about New Year’s resolutions. Nevertheless, I think this is a great time to make some changes about your life. If not now, then when? The trouble is how do you keep them? Three quick, easy suggestions.

Make your resolution hard, but achievable. Challenge yourself, but don’t overdo it. Your resolution should be neither incredibly simple nor impossible.

Tell someone about your resolution. Most resolutions are abysmal failures because we do not share them with others who will call us into account. Let your spouse, your parent, a child or a friend help you to continue on in your upward spiral. A little help goes a long way.

Finally. spend some time each day in quiet and solitude. In other words, pray. Without some contemplation in our lives, without stopping each day and reevaluating our spirals, we can get lost and forget. This is easier said than done, I know, especially for those of you who are parents. That is why you absolutely need to burn it into your schedule. I do my daily office on the elliptical at the Y.

I hope and pray that 2018 takes you to a higher place in your life. God Bless.

 Click on the logo to the right to view all upcoming sports schedules. If you would like notifications on games, please click on the logo at the right and sign up under "notify me". You will receive game time changes, cancellations and game reminders if you are signed up .