New Year Cliches

Remember the writing advice to avoid cliches? It should definitely be applied to people writing about attitudes for the new year. Here's one: "live life to the fullest." To the fullest of what? I don't think most people take it as full or Torah or full or mitzvos or even full of chesed. They may resolve to do more of those above when in trouble or at Rosh Hashana, but that is not because they are thinking just of enjoying the here and know but of how the here and now fits into the eternal picture. From that perspective, it doesn't necessarily matter if you never go on that trip around the world or go sky diving or do whatever it is people do when they think, "I'm going to live life to the fullest." It is not just experience for its own sake that counts but living with a sense of purpose beyond the moment.