How are things going with your resolutions for the New Year? We are almost half way through our year. Have you given up or are you steadily making progress? Change is hard, but you can do it!

You've got to start everyday fresh. If you messed up, try to find out what went wrong and attempt your issue in a different way. This works for changing children's behavior, losing weight, improving your attitude, or whatever you are attempting to transform.

One thing that will stand in your way though is blame. Blame is defined as: to consider somebody to be responsible for something wrong or unfortunate that has happened. It is also to find fault with somebody. This is usually someone other than you. Let's be realistic. You cannot really change others, only yourself. People have to want to change. And just because you love them or have their best interests at heart, doesn't mean they will do what we want them to do.

We can influence change in others, but we cannot, normally, make them. Change usually happens within us and that seems to "rub off" on others. Changing your attitude or reaction to others' actionscanshape how they act. There is no guarantee, but change in you can affect others.

Don't get into the habit of blaming others for everything that happens to you. Take some time to really reflect upon what happened, how it happened, and what you did during the process. Take responsibility for your mistakes, forgive yourself and, here comes that word again, andCHANGEwhat you are doing so you can get a different result. Giving up on that resolution you made all those months ago isn't the answer. You thought something needed to change. Now it's up to you... still... to make it happen!