resolution, schmesolution
“New Year's Day - Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” – Mark Twain
I don’t believe in resolutions. I’m not sure when I came to this conclusion, it’s been years and years since I stopped making them. It’s not that I don’t believe they’re helpful starting points for many people, but as soon as the clock strikes 12am it’s not like there’s a switch I can hit just to shut off or shut down everything that’s going on in my brain. People often set themselves up with unrealistic expectations in the form of “resolutions” and I would rather set attainable and sustainable goals for myself as the need arises. What’s true for New Year’s Day is not necessarily what I’ll need to work on two months, six months or eleven months down the road.
So, no, I do not believe in resolutions. What I do believe in is continuing down this path of healthy self-analysis, pushing myself out of my comfort zone regularly, and beginning every step of my journey with a pat on the back and my eyes wide open. Reading my blog is like a small window into what’s running through my mind for a fleeting moment in time; I know these thoughts, random and raw as they appear, are not easily accessible and wrapped up in a neat little bow. I write like I’m shooting from the hip almost every day. What I intend to say at the beginning of a paragraph or entry generally takes a turn even I wasn’t expecting by the end. It’s how I process my shit, for lack of a more appropriate and eloquent turn of phrase.
I have a lot to look forward to. While I tend to frequently look back and wonder what the hell I was thinking and am much harder on myself than anyone else could ever be, I’m learning not to keep reliving the same mistakes, forgiving myself for my frequent bouts of idiocy, and letting go – of constantly thinking I have to be in control and of situations and people that confound me as well as judgment and negativity. The weight of baggage – other people’s as well as my own – does not in fact have to bear down on my shoulders. Being vulnerable to whatever happens next – whether it’s telling the people around me how I really feel about them and my own fears about how I move forward – can be scary and force a person into a kind of emotional paralysis. But opening yourself up and allowing yourself to be vulnerable can result in limitless opportunity to change your situation and allow laughter, light and life to take center stage.
I leave the resolutions to other people; and instead, I take up the challenge to change myself from the inside out instead of measuring my worth by how well I stick to a diet, how many books I read, or how many trips I take by the year’s end. My journey to heal old wounds and find new joy is still in the beginning stages; and it’s a journey with no end in sight and bound to take a number of pitstops along the way. So Happy New Year, and hopefully I’ll bump into you as I navigate through the next phase of my travels!
I don’t believe in resolutions. I’m not sure when I came to this conclusion, it’s been years and years since I stopped making them. It’s not that I don’t believe they’re helpful starting points for many people, but as soon as the clock strikes 12am it’s not like there’s a switch I can hit just to shut off or shut down everything that’s going on in my brain. People often set themselves up with unrealistic expectations in the form of “resolutions” and I would rather set attainable and sustainable goals for myself as the need arises. What’s true for New Year’s Day is not necessarily what I’ll need to work on two months, six months or eleven months down the road.
So, no, I do not believe in resolutions. What I do believe in is continuing down this path of healthy self-analysis, pushing myself out of my comfort zone regularly, and beginning every step of my journey with a pat on the back and my eyes wide open. Reading my blog is like a small window into what’s running through my mind for a fleeting moment in time; I know these thoughts, random and raw as they appear, are not easily accessible and wrapped up in a neat little bow. I write like I’m shooting from the hip almost every day. What I intend to say at the beginning of a paragraph or entry generally takes a turn even I wasn’t expecting by the end. It’s how I process my shit, for lack of a more appropriate and eloquent turn of phrase.
I have a lot to look forward to. While I tend to frequently look back and wonder what the hell I was thinking and am much harder on myself than anyone else could ever be, I’m learning not to keep reliving the same mistakes, forgiving myself for my frequent bouts of idiocy, and letting go – of constantly thinking I have to be in control and of situations and people that confound me as well as judgment and negativity. The weight of baggage – other people’s as well as my own – does not in fact have to bear down on my shoulders. Being vulnerable to whatever happens next – whether it’s telling the people around me how I really feel about them and my own fears about how I move forward – can be scary and force a person into a kind of emotional paralysis. But opening yourself up and allowing yourself to be vulnerable can result in limitless opportunity to change your situation and allow laughter, light and life to take center stage.
I leave the resolutions to other people; and instead, I take up the challenge to change myself from the inside out instead of measuring my worth by how well I stick to a diet, how many books I read, or how many trips I take by the year’s end. My journey to heal old wounds and find new joy is still in the beginning stages; and it’s a journey with no end in sight and bound to take a number of pitstops along the way. So Happy New Year, and hopefully I’ll bump into you as I navigate through the next phase of my travels!
Comments