Each January, we take a collective breath and reset ourselvesfor another year. As we throw away old calendars and box up holidaydecorations, we often experience a feeling of renewal. A new yearoffers a blank slate; a fresh start.

And considering the way 2016 went, I think most of us welcomethe change. Social media has been flooded with posts and articlesdebating where 2016 ranks among the worst years of all time. Why?Political acrimony fueled by the election and Brexit, the deaths ofbeloved celebrities including David Bowie, Prince, Harper Lee andMuhammad Ali, ongoing mass shootings, record-high globaltemperatures and much more. If you have the stomach for it, type#worstyearever on Twitter and you'll find plenty of evidence forwhy 2016 will go down as a terrible, horrible, no good, very badyear.

That said, it's always important to reflect on the past beforeoverreacting. Consider 1348, when the Black Death wiped out atleast one-third of Europe's population. Or 1919, when an influenzaepidemic killed half a million Americans and race riots raged incities across the U.S. And let's not forget 1943, when theatrocities of the Holocaust neared their peak and famine impactedmuch of the globe. Yes, perspective is important.