It starts to build slowly. Just a whisper of thought as the Holiday festivities and New Year’s Resolutions come and go.

Then the days trickle by. Casting relentless darkness that seems to resist any progress to the long-shadows of daylight.

Next, a sporadic dose of what spring brings. A sun-filled day where snow begins to melt and a smell in the air that beckons a gleeful smile of what is to come.

A Groundhog normally predicts a pessimistic forecast that threatens our patience. It toys with our subconscious excitement of what is right around the corner.

We push forward with…

ser-en-dip-i-ty: luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for. Merriam-Webster

Is it about being in the right place at the right time? Does that truly exist? Or do our choices and decisions merely correlate to then become predetermined coincidences to our past thoughts to prove we are heading in the direction we chose?

How closely is an epiphany related to serendipity?

At what point do we just say fuck it and open ourselves up to vulnerability to see what exciting circumstances we can get ourselves into? …

So where do you start, you ask? I have you covered, of course. Think of it as a simple system of resolution building blocks. It will take time. It will take energy. It will be worth it; trust me.

Reflect

Schedule uninterrupted time to honestly review your latest round of goals or the time-period you’re looking to improve on. Begin by answering these questions:

• What have you been doing right that should be continued?
• What has been a thorn in your side?
• What continues to stay on the radar but never gets accomplished?
• What do you wish you had done?
• Why…

I’ve been in Detroit for over a year now, and I felt this was the perfect opportunity to take a second by reflecting on what I’ve learned. With that said, I have this list here that’s in no particular order.

1. Normal is not normal

That abandoned building and boarded up building across the street? Not normal.

That homeless person routinely sleeping in the same spot on one of the better-known roads in Michigan? Not normal.

That look you get when you tell people where you’re from? Not normal.

That smell wafting up from the sewers? Not normal.

That burnt out streetlight across from the…