A new year and new opportunities

Just a few weeks ago I was having a conversation with a friend who had a tough 2012. It was evident he had been bitten by the “negativity bug” or was under the spell of a doom-and-gloom mindset.

Besides a rough year in his professional life and financial life, he even mentioned what a down year it was for football in Louisiana. The LSU Tigers did not even make it to a BCS Bowl game, and the Saints turned in a dismal performance. All this affected his mood.

On top of that, he was whining about traffic in the city and a few other community issues we face right now in Baton Rouge.

I let him vent for a little bit until I almost lost my appetite for lunch and had to shift the conversation. I reminded him that in the midst of his life’s challenges were many blessings that I was willing to list for him right then and there.

Instead of being thankful for all the good things in his life, he was obsessed with all that wasn’t going right. I told him he fell into the pool of people in this city that only complain about what is wrong instead of focusing on celebrating and building upon what is right.

That lunch conversation got me thinking. Why do people so often get stuck in negative and limited thinking instead of focusing on opportunities and overcoming their situations?

After contemplating that question, I believe that there are three things that control us, and if we’re not careful, turn us into pessimists. Those three are past failures, present frustrations and future fears. I want to share a few thoughts on each of these.

1. Past Failures. One of my mentors told me a long time ago, “If you don’t bury the past, it will bury your future.” He was right. The past is there not so we will live in regret, but so that we can learn from past failures and successes. We’re supposed to extract the lessons from the good and bad experiences that hopefully help us grow and learn so we can flourish in the future. So, here is a question for 2013: Will you let the past go? Engage the present, prepare and create your future. But let go of the past.

2. Present Frustrations. Besides our local traffic, present frustrations are really rooted in the pressures of money, time, people and priorities. Whining and complaining about problems or challenges doesn’t do anything to solve or overcome them. We have to engage and confront them creatively, strategically, methodically, prayerfully and hopefully. Hope is not a strategy, but it is a good thing. Many people complain there is just not enough time to get things done, but for most it is not an issue of time management as much as priority management. Next question for 2013: What are your priorities for this year?

3. Future Fears. The uncertain times we live in grip people with fear. I have certainly fallen prey to this before, but I came to the understanding that nothing productive or fruitful comes from fear. Fear makes people doubtful. It makes them selfish and shortsighted. No one can predict the future, but I do know that the key to overcoming fear is to move against it, to learn and to take action. Final question for 2013: What new actions will you take this year? Remember, a new year always brings new opportunities and a fresh chance to embrace the opportunities we have put off in the past. The beginning of the year brings about a special atmosphere that helps motivate action. What an opportunity!

It’s time again to look expectantly and hopefully to the year ahead. As we have done every January since 225 began, we are starting the year off with our People to Watch profiles.

This year, we have stories and portraits of 15 individuals from across the cultural spectrum. All local. All achievers with big dreams and big challenges ahead.

Some, representing distinct sectors like athletics, education, film, fashion and science, we have photographed together. Others are depicted in their unique environments—a snapshot of who they are and where they do what they do so well.

Check out our YouTube channel for a special People to Watch video, and meet our selections in this issue.

In the spirit of embracing change for the New Year, our design and editorial teams have executed a tasteful revision of our cover page as well as a few creative tweaks throughout the magazine.

On the cover, you’ll notice the beige box in the top right corner—a staple since the magazine’s inception in 2005—has disappeared, along with the color field behind the brackets of our 225 logo.

Finally, our original commitment to prominent photography and punchy stories has been reaffirmed by design adjustments made to the first two pages of the What’s Up section.

We hope you enjoy these new looks, that they enhance your experience with the magazine, and that you keep reading 225 for all of the people, entertainment and cuisine content you need to know about in Baton Rouge.