The Fine Art of Resolutions and Lessons

Is a New Year’s Resolution simply a way of giving us an excuse for our behavior all year long? Is this a way to redeem that “bad” behavior much like confessing our sins? It could be. This is exactly why I have resolved not to make any resolutions for the coming year. In the past I have failed miserably at all of my attempts.  My gym membership rarely used in the second half of this year, that copy of “To Kill a Mockingbird” still sitting on my nightstand unread, the clutter in the basement still doing its whole clutter thing, recipe books untouched, promises to visit friends in far away places never fulfilled…. I could go on and on.  I might have done these things had I not put so much pressure on myself to do them.  It no longer seemed like a decision, but instead an obligation.  So as the New Year approaches I am going to sit back and hope for the best, in silent thankfulness that the year that just passed was not a complete train wreck. Most of it was in fact rather pleasant. This is far more productive than setting myself up for failure with goals that I lose enthusiasm for right around February 1^st.

Although I did not fulfill any of my goals for New Years Resolutions, I did learn a few things in 2011.

1.  PICK YOUR BATTLES – Sometimes we need to fight the good fight and sometimes we have to just agree to disagree.  Sometimes, the truth is, you just can’t win.  The time you consume with losing battles is time better spent on more productive or even leisurely activities.

2.  IF THE KARDASHIANS ARE BAD FOR ME, I DON’T WANT TO BE GOOD – Yes, I know, reality TV is a waste of time.  Yes, I know I complain that they are “all over the place”.  Yes, I know I profess my disdain for the materialism and ridiculousness of this show and how on some level I know it is likely “scripted”, but I can’t stop watching it.  Keeping up with The Kardashians, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Khloe and Lamar do whatever it is they do. I can’t get enough of it.

3.  YOUR DOG IS JUST LIKE A NEWBORN BABY WHEN SHE IS SICK  - For some reason our dear sweet Boxer/Shepherd mix monster of a dog has had her share of tummy troubles this year. This caused me many sleepless nights cleaning up after her, and suffering from tremendous guilt for being angry about it.  It doesn’t help that I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since 1993 either.  

4.  A GOOD RED WINE TASTES PERFECTLY FINE WITH FROZEN PIZZA – Enough said!!!

5. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CHILDREN AS ADULTS IS A MUCH LONGER TIME SPAN THAN THOSE FIRST 18 YEARS – YET WHAT YOU DO IN THOSE FIRST 18 YEARS DETERMINES THE OUTCOME OF YOUR ADULT RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM.  – Bittersweet as it may be, this is absolutely true.

6.  THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE – What are the things that measure you as a person in society?  I used to think those were material things.  I now understand that is absolutely incorrect.  The best things in life are those without value or measure.  Emotional depth, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, doing unto others… that stuff cannot be measured. Some people very close to me have taught me recently that being at peace with who you are and the path you are following in life has much more value than that new Coach purse.