Ah, yes, 2012 is finally here – a new year, a chance to renew and improve ourselves. Wait—

2012 is here!

Clearly, now is the time to panic.

According to the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, the now-famous Mayan calendar, the world is scheduled to end on Dec. 21, 2012. Many people have become proponents of this now-urban legend. Some even are suggesting that Earth will collide with a large planetary object called Nibiru.

I count myself as one of those who have enough common sense to know that this is fairly improbable.

Consider: Other so-called “prophets” have predicted the end of the world before – remember when Harold Camping somehow foresaw last year the upcoming so-called Rapture? As we all know, this never actually happened – because we are all clearly still here.

In fact, doomsday theories are nothing new. Possibly the most well-known almost-but-not-quite-apocalypse was in 1999, when people thought that the world might have ended in 2000, the turn of the century and the start of a new millennium. Pop artist Prince made this fear famous through his song “1999.” However, there was nothing to fear, since, again, nothing happened.

There is no reason to fear this apocalyptic prediction. Just because one calendar made by an ancient civilization ends on that date is no cause for this frenzy.

However, it is cause for reflection. 2012 is a chance for a new beginning. If the world was hypothetically going to end soon, I, for one, would want to ensure that I live life to its fullest, repair broken relationships, and make sure that the people most dear to me know that I truly love them.

2012 is a reason to hope for something better and to improve the lives of others.

In other words, 2012 is the perfect opportunity to carpe diem.

So, maybe the world is not going to end, but is that any reason not to live life to its fullest? No.

2012 is the chance to carpe diem.