I have been thinking a lot about new years resolutions and what they are supposed to do. How everyone wants to change who they are and better themselves. I think that is really inspirational. Especially since a lot of people in general believe that New Years Eve is a seriously overrated holiday. In a way its a lot like life. It is what you make it. People complain that they aren't happy, they think that somehow it is their lot in life to not be happy. Maybe that life dealt them a bad hand and now they are stuck. I think that life (like NYE) is what you make it. There are circumstances that are out of your control, and there are things that are unavoidable. However, we have control over how we react to things.
so where the HELL am I going with this??
In thinking about New Years Resolutions consider this...
Have I decided to do this because:
A. Its going to make me happy
B. It will make someone else happy
C. I am fulfilling what is expected of me
If your answer is B or C... Scratch the resolution and start over. If you want to loose 15 pounds because its making YOU happy and not because your mom wants you to be thinner or it will make your dude happier, then DO IT! If you want to save money to spend on yourself... do it! If you want to go vegan because YOU think its something that will benefit you and not for anyone else then do it.
Think of it this way... Is any action that someone else does going to solve ALL your problems? Going to help you become the happiest person alive forever?? Probably not... So then why would anyone make their resolution to improve their life about anyone but themselves?
Resolutions are about SELF improvement, not becoming someone that someone else wants you to be.
SO take up the piano, guitar, cooking,
fall in love, fall out of love, live!,
hike, bike, go to night school,
get your MBA, get your GED, get a PHD!,
Buy a camera and become a photographer,
sell your house,
go to europe,
buy a house in europe!
quit your job and travel
quit traveling and settle down
Do what you want to do... but do it for you!!
So now I am going to tie this notion back to what I was saying earlier about taking control, and being happy...
(I am going to sound like a shrink)
Here is what I know about life, happiness, and control:
1. Thing are going to happen to you that are 100% out of your control
2. we are going to react to them
3. These things + the way we react to them overall = Our life attitude (positive, negative, happy, sad)
Most people look that this little equation and say.. yeah! thats right... I have no control over my happiness. I am going to have bad things happen and I am going to be furious about it. But here is something we don't realize.... how much control we have over #2. (how we react to the things that happen to us)
So when bad thing happen to us we have a choice in how we react... why not shrug it off, and stay positive as much as we can. It is going to be hard... but ...
THIS is my new years resolution.
If I get in a fender bender... I will not get angry
If I loose files at work.... I will not get stressed out
If I get lost... I will not panic
If I run out of gas... I will calmly call AAA
When I have family coming over in 15 minutes, and the chicken is burning, and my kitchen is filling with smoke and the alarm is going off... I will remain calm.
I choose happiness.
I choose calm and relaxation.
This is what I want to improve upon this year.
I have realized that a lot of that reacting has to do with fear and pressure from what is expected. We believe that we are as humans supposed to panic... But has panicking ever helped ANYONE solve a problem?? It is a scientific fact that stress has such a negative effect on the brain that when we are stressed out our motor skills begin to shut down. Have you ever noticed that when you are having a really bad day, you trip over things, or stub your toe. Thats no accident.
Likewise positivity and peace actually revive the creative part of the brain, which is why when we remain happy and positive our brain actually functions at a higher level. So I am going to do all that I can to make myself happy.
So in closing...
BE HAPPY!
Make yourself happy!
and have a very happy safe and wonderful New Year!
Happy 2011.
2 comments:
Great post!!
I completely agree with things that you said in this post. A lot of resolutions fail because it isn't something that the individual wants to do for themselves but for someone else or because it's expected of them. I love all your resolutions...except the getting lost one -- I am not sure how to stay calm in that situation lol =)
Happy New Year!
It is going to be a SERIOUS CHALLENGE!! I think that if i stay calm 85% of the time its a win... :) So glad you liked it! We are obviously on the same level... :)
Post a Comment