It’s Friday, January 1st, 2016. Happy New Year!

What makes a New Year Happy? Is it the very fact that it’s new? Probably. I believe the prospect of starting a new year with a blank slate makes a lot of people happy. It gives us hope that good things are ahead, that we’ll finally do the things we’ve always wanted to do, and that, as a result, life will be good, if not great. That’s something worth celebrating, isn’t it?

One thing I love about New Years is that it’s something that the entire world celebrates together. It’s a very simple concept — the ending of one year and the transition to the next — but it’s something that reminds us that we’re ALL human and that time passes for each and every one of us; and thus, a reminder of our inherent mortality. It reminds us that we all exist on this planet together, that we all live here, and that, for each and every one of us, time is passing and we all get to start again (so to speak).

From a certain perspective, a New Year not only unites us in hope for all the best for the year to come as individuals, but also as a united world and species. In this sense, we really are one, and I love this concept more than any other concept behind any other holiday. Celebrating uniqueness or heritage and tradition can be wonderful, and it is, but more than anything I wish to experience and celebrate our inherent oneness with each other, and New Years is probably the closest celebration I can think of that comes close to doing this.

I’ve spent a few New Years in Las Vegas to date, and this one marks the first celebration that took place on the Las Vegas Strip itself. Apparently, the fireworks display on the Las Vegas Strip this New Year’s 2016 Celebration was the largest in all of the United States. There were reportedly more than 300,000 people in the area to celebrate. (I think the figure was more like 320,000, or perhaps even more.)

It was a unique experience and, although brief, I believe it’s one I won’t soon forget. There’s something quite amazing about being among a sea of people, all united together for the countdown of the New Year; harmoniously counting down from 10 to 1 to “Happy New Year!”, shouting and cheering as one. The walls that are usually erected among strangers are suddenly brought down as we all enthusiastically wish one another all the best.

So, Happy New Year, everyone! Enjoy your time here on earth. Try to make the best of your life, not only for yourself, but for the betterment of all of humanity.

Be joyful. Be courageous. Be loving. Be kind. Be bold. Be forgiving. Be understanding.

Be human.

Be you.