It’s a new year and everyone has the same opportunity to take a fresh look at their lives and the world. Negative news and negative talk dominate people’s minds – the opportunity is to question all the negativity and focus on the many positive things, people and possibilities in our lives, our community, our family, and our world.

If you want to change your life and the world for the better this year, you need to focus on the positive and push away the negative. As a start, here is a short list of positive things to reset your vision for the coming year.

1. Crime rates do drop. Several Bay Area cities had fewer homicides than in previous years. Hayward, San Jose, and Richmond reported a slight drop in murder rates in 2013, while San Francisco's total fell from 69 to 48. Oakland reported the lowest number of homicides (92) since 2004. The thirty percent reduction in homicides was coupled with a fifteen percent drop in non-fatal shootings.

Murder rates also fell in large cities across the U.S. - Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Chicago experienced a big drop in murders in 2013. New York City had fewer murders in 2013 (333) than any year in its recorded history. In 1963, when the city started recording the number of murders per year, there were 548 homicides.

2. Hispanics are starting businesses faster than the rate of all businesses in the U.S. There are currently more than 2.3 million Hispanic-owned businesses, an increase of more than forty percent from 2002. (U.S. Census Bureau)

3. Higher education. Latinas are exceeding non-Hispanic females in college enrollment. A record 73 percent of Hispanic high school female graduates are enrolling in college, 11 percent ahead of Hispanic males.

4. Job opportunities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the following jobs likely to experience strong growth for Hispanic professionals:

• Post-secondary teachers: 17.4 percent growth.
• Elementary school teachers: 16.8 percent growth.
• Accountants and auditors: 15.7 percent growth.
• First-line supervisors of office/administrative support workers: 14.3 percent growth.

5. The global economic crisis is NOT global. The U.S. and many European countries are struggling with high unemployment and large debt, but many other countries are experiencing strong growth. Chile, Mexico, Canada, and Panama all have strong, growing economies with low unemployment. Singapore and other Asian nations are creating jobs and wealth at incredible rates. Many countries in Northern Europe also have growing economies, great wealth and numerous business opportunities. There are opportunities everywhere, even in countries that have zero economic growth and high unemployment – you have the freedom to find or create your own opportunities.

6. You have the power to improve your personal health. We continually report on easy and natural ways to improve your health through better nutrition, increased activity, and enjoying the great outdoors. The first step in improving any aspect of your health is to take control of your habits and don’t let any excuses keep you from reaching your goals.

7. The temperature in Canada is 15 degrees below zero, and you’re not there!

8. Some new laws actually make sense. A new law in California says that anyone under 18 years of age can no longer use hands-free technology to send or receive text messages while driving. Texting using your hands while driving was outlawed in 2009.

9. More jobs. The following occupations are projected to have the largest job growth in the next few years:
• Medical assistants: 30.9 percent growth.
• Physicians and surgeons: 24.4 percent growth.
• Licensed practical and vocational nurses: 22.4 percent growth.
• Registered nurses: 14.3 percent growth.

10. Professional growth. During the past three years, the American Community Survey has consistently showed Mexican-Americans making progress in occupations in business, science, and the arts. Their presence in such jobs has increased to 16.6 percent.

11. Global tourism spending is growing. A record 2 trillion dollars was spent in tourism last year, driving new business and jobs.

12. Hispanic businesses growing. Companies on Hispanic Businesses Magazine’s Fastest-Growing 100 list in 2013 had an impressive average of 462 employees each - a 35 percent increase from just five years ago.

13. Poverty is declining across the globe. Growing job income helped lift 1 million people out of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2011, helping reduce the region's poverty rate to the lowest in three decades (Source, the U.N.). In 1981, 84 percent of Chinese people lived on less than $1.25 per day - today, it is less than 13 percent.

14. You live in the San Francisco Bay Area, a beautiful and vibrant place that is the envy of millions of people around the world.