I want to make a New Year’s prayer, not a resolution. I’m praying for courage.

Susan Sontag

For many people, New Year's Day is a time to set a goal or resolution for the coming year. But for writer, filmmaker, and activist Susan Sontag, a prayer was a more fitting mantra for January 1. This poignant quote, published in “As Consciousness Is Harnessed to Flesh,” a collection of Sontag’s journals and diaries written between 1964 and 1980, captures a sense of yearning for courage to face the unknown. It’s an honest and vulnerable feeling that anyone can relate to: seeking the bravery and strength to press on.