It's the beginning of a new year. One of my hopes for the new year involves Frog not asking me all year if it is 2018 (he asked this about 2017 throughout the last year). Most people have been analyzing and forming resolutions and have possibly already given up on those resolutions. I don't analyze myself and my life every new year because I do that constantly each day all year long. Resolutions involve regret that maybe we haven't made enough family time or learned something we've always wanted to learn. We may resolve to analyze and correct weaknesses in ourselves such as anger issues, bad habits, being a doormat, or addictions. The truth for me, though, is that I know a resolution could never be a solution. I am broken and need to believe in so much more than a miracle resolution to heal from the past. Every single day I could choose to change a bad habit or exercise more or practice more patience. My point is that I always know actions I should resolve to take towards improvement. I can also take those actions anytime of the year, should I choose to. Resolutions are only pressures that panic me and set me up to fail. They have the feeling of a time limit and hold me in fear of shame and failure. They also instill in me a nagging fear that if I fail a New Year's beginning resolution, then the rest of the year will be a continued failure. A choice to change and the motivation to do so may come under any circumstance, at any time, and completely unexpected. These moments are the ones that change my life. These are the moments I have learned the most and grown as a person. Congratulations to anyone that makes a resolution and empowers their life by continuing it. I implore the many, though, that either never follow through or try but can't make a resolution to stick to. Please take a few moments every day to reflect and just feel. If a change is wanted, then you will know the choice you need to make, and you will choose in your own time when you know you're ready. Success is within each of us and not held in a fortune cookie or a resolution. No matter your line of thinking around a new year, I do hope the best for everyone and a blessed year ahead (as uncharacteristic of me as it may sound to people that are in my circle)!
