Resolving 2019

January 2nd. Did you break your resolution yet? Do you have the same resolution every year? Or are you one of those people who blatantly says they will NOT have a resolution, therefore not fail? Sorry, the latter is for sissies if you ask me.

A lot of people resolve to lose weight, eat healthier and exercise. It’s weird that this is so abundant in the world of resolutions and I’m certainly guilty of it at times myself. I wonder if this is just an American thing, with our obesity rates reaching epidemic levels or if it’s true in other countries as well?

But in giving this a little more thought, this resolution thing, I’m thinking it needs to be bigger. And broader. And perhaps less about you. I have an old high school friend who I have not seen since, well, high school. We reconnected through Facebook and now enjoy friendly banter. I’ve learned a bit about his life over the last thirty years or so and he’s learned about mine. Every once in awhile, like today, he gives me a poke and says “Hey I need to read your blog. Write something dammit.” Or something of that nature. And it’s a good thing, because I do need prodding sometimes. Stay on the train…we’ll get there.

He shared a story about a young friend down the street who could almost never come out to play when he was child. He thought the parents were mean. Turns out, years later, he learned the boy had epilepsy and was likely having a bad day on the days he asked. I personally know a few people who suffer from anxiety and depression. Now if you DON’T suffer from those things, as I don’t, it can be difficult to be around those people. They’re real downers and tough to deal with. Suicidal people. Anorexics. Cutters. All of these folks have some kind of mental health issue that makes them who they are. Instead of finding them intolerable, what if we resolved to learn more about their condition? Even if you did nothing else (and this is certainly not a suggestion to approach the person with your new “expert” status on their condition) we could at least attempt to understand where they are coming from. It’s called empathy.

I’m not going to share my resolve for 2019 yet. It is simmering in the pit of my stomach, and I am spending time thinking about how best to execute it. But I have made a mental note to revisit this subject in June, and see where we are all at. Come summer, will anyone be thinking about what they resolved in January for a better you, or for others? It’s an interesting experiment, and I am fully prepared to share my results with you at that time. If you don’t hear back, you should give me a nudge like my friend from high school does. I’m good for my word, just getting older and more forgetful.

Resolve to make 2019 the best year yet, by improving yourself or by understanding the frailties of others. Your efforts will have a positive impact no matter what. The benefit of these things are real and can be lasting if we put solid effort into it.

We are all imperfect, and we are all in this boat together. Resolve to be kind, to yourself and those around you, to keep it afloat.

Happy New Year all.

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