This is a time of year when people seriously reflect on what has been and begin to focus on the possibilities of what lies ahead. Amends are made, some in the form of resolutions to not make the same choices; others resolve to improve over their past performance.
If you are anything like me then each time the New Year approaches you get reflective on the year we are saying goodbye to. I think (or try, it gets harder as I get older) about all that I accomplished, all I failed to do, things I learned, things I celebrated, people I spent time with and new memories made. I don't usually make any New Years resolutions however I always have a craving for healthy foods and raw vegetables after all the holiday foods I have been consuming. I also usually have this desire to reorganize things in preparation for what I hope will lead me to having more free time in the coming year.
In my reflections I praised God for the celebration of 1 year cancer free for my husband, I shed tears each time we celebrated another holiday with my son and his wife absent from the table, I felt pride though in knowing he is serving his country. I felt extreme joy in learning that I am going to be a first time grandma, I felt nostalgic as I looked through baby photos of my own children. I felt honored given the task of designing the nursery for my granddaughter.
I felt "fun" as we vacationed with friends, Happiness as I vacationed and reconnected with my sisters, I have experienced sadness losing dear friends, illness and surgery, humbled at Gods Grace.
New Years is synonymous for people vowing to lose weight,save money, stop smoking,exercise more,eat better, be more patient, work harder, you get the idea fill in the blank!
New Year's resolutions have been with us for 4,000 years, ever since the Babylonians began celebrating the start of each new planting cycle. The Babylonians knew how to ring in the new year. They'd party for 11 days, with each day devoted to a theme, before packing up their party hats and pulling out their plows.
The Babylonians were the first to have New Year's resolutions. The most common promises were to return borrowed farm equipment and pay off old debts.
I have come to this conclusion though and that may be why I don't really do resolutions. Historically people resolve to stop doing something, or vow to do something better and within the first few weeks they already feel that they have failed, thus they go back to the old ways which led them to make the resolution in the first place AND they feel like a failure.
Instead why not do this, wake each day with the attitude of making this day better than the last, for your self or someone else. If you need to do something better that day do it. If you need to be lazy a day be it, if you want to feel successful feel it. Each day YOU are in control of your own actions so own it. Don't go a whole year feeling as though you will need to make several resolutions to improve your life at the end of the year- start living now and resolve to make each day as good as you want it to be. Each day you live may be the last day you live.
New Year's resolutions have been with us for 4,000 years, ever since the Babylonians began celebrating the start of each new planting cycle. The Babylonians knew how to ring in the new year. They'd party for 11 days, with each day devoted to a theme, before packing up their party hats and pulling out their plows.
The Babylonians were the first to have New Year's resolutions. The most common promises were to return borrowed farm equipment and pay off old debts.
I have come to this conclusion though and that may be why I don't really do resolutions. Historically people resolve to stop doing something, or vow to do something better and within the first few weeks they already feel that they have failed, thus they go back to the old ways which led them to make the resolution in the first place AND they feel like a failure.
Instead why not do this, wake each day with the attitude of making this day better than the last, for your self or someone else. If you need to do something better that day do it. If you need to be lazy a day be it, if you want to feel successful feel it. Each day YOU are in control of your own actions so own it. Don't go a whole year feeling as though you will need to make several resolutions to improve your life at the end of the year- start living now and resolve to make each day as good as you want it to be. Each day you live may be the last day you live.
2 comments:
You are extremely insightful Dawn! Have a wonderful 2012...Ralph
"This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it." One day at a time, we're lucky to handle that right.
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