"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man." -Benjamin Franklin, American Founding Father, Statesman, Publisher and Inventor, Benjamin Franklin books//

One way or another we are all "becoming" something different than what we were a day, a month or a year ago. If we follow Franklin's advice and consistently battle our vices while loving our neighbors, then most likely we are "becoming" better people every day. What does it mean, though, to "become" a better man (or woman)? Isn't "better" a relative term? A thief could become "better" by resolving not to steal anymore, but if he's still a liar then is that really "becoming" something good? When I think about the New Year, I guess that if everyone resolves to "become" something "better" than before, then the sum total of things should be "good," right!?! I know the answer is 'Yes,' but what difference does that make in the world? Are enough people truly committed to "becoming better" to offset those who are "becoming worse" (giving in to their vices or hating their neighbors, as Franklin puts it)? How long does the feeling of hope imbibed with the New Year last? Is it long enough to allow for the feeling of love to replace hate in a person's heart? I guess we'll see. To me, becoming a better man is a game of inches, and it doesn't matter whether anyone else in the world is moving forward or back. "Becoming better" is relative to the past, but we are not limited by our past in what we can "become" in the future. Every New Year brings hope that the world can be a better place because each of us have the ability to become "better" people. Every inch that you gain makes a positive difference in the world around you, and even if it only offsets an inch lost by another, it is worth the effort to improve your own life and advance the cause of all men (or women) "becoming better" around the world. This year, resolve to battle your vices, love your neighbors and "become" a better man!