12:01 a.m.

Watching on television the giant ball on Times Square in NYC inch its way down to herald the coming of the New Year with all its glitz and dazzle is euphoric. I love New Year’s Eve countdowns; I love seeing the short and long hands of the clock settle at “12” and become one. I love seeing people shut their eyes tight and make a wish or a promise (and sealing it with a kiss). I love the jubilation of a fresh, new start with confetti raining on one’s parade. And I revel in the hope the New Year brings — the 12:01s of our lives is the best pep talk for a sluggish spirit.

I usually feel a letdown when the revelry fizzles out and people retreat indoors and the fireworks dim and the greetings abate. 2 a.m. on Jan. 1 is a far cry from 11:59 p.m. And then suddenly I realized last New Year’s Eve that somewhere in the world, it was just still 11:59 p.m., another group of people were waiting with bated breath for the clock to strike 12, for the champagne bottles to pop, for the fireworks to illumine the velvet sky. Another group of people were keeping their eyes closed for a wish, a promise, a proposal.

I asked my son to Google how many New Year’s Eves there are in the world and after a tap on his iPhone, he said, “Twenty-four.”

Every year, there are 24 countdowns to a New Year, one in each time zone. There are 24 changes not just in days and months, but years. There are 24 celebrations to usher a new year. There are 24 red carpets for the most cherished new visitor.

If you missed making a wish at 12 midnight of Dec. 31 in the Philippines, and are obsessive about your timing, you can always wish upon your star at 11:59 p.m. New York time. Somewhere in the world on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, clocks are striking a new hour.

Yes, 24 times, the world welcomes a New Year. New Zealand is usually among the first, followed by many countries in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas. The celebration is hours apart and this not only extends the celebration — it allows you to repeat it, somewhere in the quiet of your heart.

So on New Year’s Eve, as in life, it is never too late to make a wish, a promise, a proposal. It’s never too late to close your eyes and resolve to be the change you’re wishing for. It’s never too late to make a decision, to make a move, to break-up, to reconcile. It’s also never too late to say “Thank you.”

Somewhere in the world, it’s always still 11:59 p.m. There’s always a new time zone upon which to wish upon a lucky star. And a new 12:01 a.m. is always waiting.

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Some points to ponder whenever you’re in an 11:59-p.m. moment in your life:

• I recently read an Instagram post by Allure creative director Luis Espiritu, which goes: “There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.”

Most of the time, happiness is thought of as goal when it should be also a process. A process usually takes more time, so if you make happiness the process to reach your goal, the means, and not just the end — you will have many, many more happy moments.

Happiness isn’t the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow — it’s that multi-colored bridge you traverse on your way there.

• Chill, but don’t be frozen. A lot of the people I know who are relatively free of problems don’t obsess about them or about anything, for that matter. Maybe that’s why most of them have no health issues. They don’t sweat the small stuff. They don’t care too much about what other people say. They don’t take themselves, or life, too seriously.

When you chill and take a step back, you realize that despite all your issues, your insecurities, your ambitions, your accomplishments, you’re just one body in an orbit of many stars and ultimately — it’s not all about you. True, we all want to make a  difference and be part of something bigger than ourselves. That is laudable. But you get less stressed out and less pressured when you realize that it’s not all about you and that the world won’t stop even when you get off.

Chill, but don’t be frozen. Don’t be frozen by your fears and insecurities and selfishness, and “let it go.” Thaw. Catch the summer even in the winter of your lives.

• Stop thinking of yourself as a victim. Stop thinking of yourself as the lead star in Ang Daigdig ng mga Api. Stop thinking that someone’s out to get you or stab your back in the everyday jungle of family and office politics.

Stop reliving the past and making the present your best revenge for those who once hurt, ridiculed or underestimated you. Oops, there you go feeling like a victim again…

• Never stop being childlike and never lose the wonder of childhood. I remember my first field trip was when I was in Fourth Grade and our class went to Reynoso Island in Antipolo. I remember our school bus going down a narrow peninsula to a little island surrounded by fire trees and I was simply enchanted. One classmate, who had probably been to Japan and seen the Cherry Blossoms or what-have-you, remarked, “It’s as if you’ve never seen a place before!”

That was decades ago and I’ve been beyond Reynoso Island. Seriously. But every time I behold a new place, “it’s as if I’ve never seen a place before.” I gawk, I sigh, close my eyes in wonder, I genuflect, I shriek.

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Aside from the 24 times in the start of the year — without rewinding or going fast-forward — that we can make a New Year’s resolution, there are the 364 other days of the rest of the year to do so.

Come to think of it, every day heralds the beginning of a new year. Every day is a fresh start, a clean slate, an untainted white cloth. It’s never too late — or too early — to welcome a new year.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)