New Years revolution Every year, I make New Year’s resolutions on Jan. 1 that are long forgotten by the time my birthday rolls around 29 days later. Like most people, my resolutions revolve around a bad habit I’d like to change or a desire I’d like to fulfill. While I agree the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on the past and make plans for the future, this year I’m revolting against resolutions. By definition, a resolution is a firm decision to pursue a course of action. In other words, it’s a declaration of absolute intention to do or not to do something. If history has taught me anything, it’s I’m not that decisive. To me, life is full of nuances, and decisions are fluid choices I make today that are subject to change as new information is learned and integrated. So it’s not hard for me to give up New Year’s resolutions. By nature, I lack the level of determination necessary to make them — or keep them. But here’s another reason I’m revolting against resolutions; they always seem to be one last opportunity to beat yourself up about something that, let’s face it, you’ve been beating yourself up about all year. Lose weight. Save money. Drink less. Manage stress. You won’t hear me resolving to do any of those things come Jan. 1. You might, however, hear me irresolutely consider opting to: 1) Eat more ice cream We don’t talk about it much here in Northeast Florida because it seems ungracious to complain about our lovely weather, but sometimes it gets really hot here. In my opinion, there’s no better way to cool off than with a big scoop of strawberry ice cream. I love the stuff, but I haven’t eaten it in years. Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that it contains too much fat and sugar. 2) Blow money I should increase my retirement savings and tackle my student loan debt harder. But I will be blowing at least $100 a month on fun in 2015. Life is short, my friends. 3) Celebrate Irish stout at the Celtic Festival, margaritas on Cinco de Mayo, star-spangled Jello shots on the Fourth of July, wine with Saturday night dinner… Life in these United States is full of opportunities to gather a group of friends and enjoy food, games and laughter. 4) Embrace the chaos If the experts can be believed, many great things in life can cause stress — starting that dream job, buying a new home, getting married. Of course, some bad things cause stress too — loss of a loved one, illness, financial burdens. In essence, life itself can be stressful. Instead of trying to manage the stress, I will accept both the good and bad as merely part of the game. And be grateful for another year to play.
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 19:52:28 +0000
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