New years and resolutions

I’ve often noticed how some people like to make jokes about the new year. They like to point out — or capitalize on — how many folks make resolutions for what they’ll do differently in the coming year.

And how many of those folks ‘fail’.

They think making resolutions is foolish. A stupid tradition put forth by people who just can’t seem to get it together, and who just won’t accept that most of their resolutions will die within a few days or weeks of the new year.

But they’re mistaken.

No, most people won’t keep their resolutions, whether through perfectionist attempts at never missing a single committed moment or simply because those resolutions aren’t made in the context of other life changes that would be necessary for them to thrive. But those resolutions aren’t foolish. They show something. They show how we’re pretty unique, us humans. We strive for change. We strive for renewal. We strive for things to be better than they’ve been. We take every opportunity, whether it’s a new year or a new day or even a new moment, to commit to making things better than they were before.

And we do this continually, year after year and day after day, regardless of past ‘failure’, because that’s who we are. No, we don’t always succeed in precisely what we set out to do. But as a species, we made it across the whole of the earth and out to the moon because of this striving.

So this year, don’t beat yourself up too much if you don’t hold true to your latest resolution. Just pick yourself up from where you’re at and try it again. As humans, we move forward. Sometimes an inch at a time, and sometimes with a whole lot of sliding the other direction… but we do. And you will. So happy new year, happy new day, and may 2013 be the best year yet.

 

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THE CARE AND FEEDING OF COMMENTS:

Here’s the thing: we’re all different. Sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t. And that’s fine. But there’s also more than enough nasty in the world, and not nearly enough kindness and respect. We play nice here.