2012 As I Ought
This time of year you find two kinds of people: The Resolutionaries and the Non-Resolutionaries. I made up both of those terms, so let me define them.
Resolutionaries are folks who take the new year as a blank slate, full of possibilities and perhaps a little magic. They think that just because the year changes, they will now suddenly be able to stand against old patterns and temptations and forge for themselves new lives in the coming year. They make lists and lists of resolutions like weightloss, quitting bad habits, and being nicer to others. Traditionally, these resolutions last about 3 weeks into the new year and life falls back to normal. Its rare that you hear a story that begins, "My life changed on January 1st 2001." As mystical and magical as we treat January 1st, it is just another day in a long series of days that we live out on this Earth as best we can.
Which brings me to the other group: Non-resolutionaries. As mockingly as you may have thought I was being about resolutionaries, I might be a little harder on these folks. Some are realists, saying, "I dont believe in making resolutions that I know I wont keep." Some are party poopers, "People who make resolutions are idiots. You're not going to change at all!!" Some are lazy, "Meh, I just dont feel like doing any." Some are pessimists, "I dont feel like failing at something ELSE." Some are passive resolutionaries, "My only resolution this year is to love me for me, I'm not going to try and change anymore." Some are too cool, "Resolutions are lame. I'm too good for all that." Some people are scared, "I dont know what i should resolve to change...there's just so much, I dont think I could take letting myself down again."
Both groups are entirely pathetic. lol..what? Not expecting that? Yeah, we're all pathetic though...Thinking the new year is going to change anything, or belittling people who want to make a genuine go of it.
I have never ever been consistent with myself when it comes to making real change. I will change for a while, then fall back into old patterns. I am who I am! (thats one of my goals for this year, remember? Accept me for me and stop apologizing) If I'm truly honest though, "Who I am" is someone who really likes to make changes all the time. I like to mix it up! I like to run after ridiculous ideas and completely immerse myself in one thing until I get really tired of it.
It is WHO I AM to make resolutions and not keep them. And its AWESOME!!
Allow me to illustrate. I resolved once to be a marathoner. I never finished the marathon, but I did 4 halves and 23 miles of a whole...and I saw alligators and have a great story about the day I didnt finish. And a little unresolved bitterness against marathons in general that someday might resurface and prompt me to try again.
I resolved once to be an ironman (ironwoman?) I wanted to complete a FULL Ironman!! I ended up doing two sprint triathlons and have a pretty fun time on two vacations that I wouldnt have otherwise taken.
I resolved once to lose 65lbs! I lost 40, and feel a little better, even though I didnt finish.
I resolved once to WRITE A BOOK! I have started a few...one was even fiction! I never finished, but i had a great memory of having a few beers with friends and dreaming up an insanely creative story...
Resolutions arent bad. Failing to keep them isnt bad. Because even if we blow it, and ruin any chance we have at success, we can still have a heck of a lot of fun trying. So make those ridiculous resolutions!!! Work really hard at them for a week or a month or six months!! Fail Miserably on the first day if you want!! But it is much better to try and fail than to never try at all...
For 2012, I have the goals from my previous post to which I would like to add a resolution I have tried before back in 2009...The familiar old "As I ought" resolution. I'm going to do what I should when I should and stop putting off doing things or quitting things that I know would bring me peace, order and joy...
Happy 2012 everyone!
Resolutionaries are folks who take the new year as a blank slate, full of possibilities and perhaps a little magic. They think that just because the year changes, they will now suddenly be able to stand against old patterns and temptations and forge for themselves new lives in the coming year. They make lists and lists of resolutions like weightloss, quitting bad habits, and being nicer to others. Traditionally, these resolutions last about 3 weeks into the new year and life falls back to normal. Its rare that you hear a story that begins, "My life changed on January 1st 2001." As mystical and magical as we treat January 1st, it is just another day in a long series of days that we live out on this Earth as best we can.
Which brings me to the other group: Non-resolutionaries. As mockingly as you may have thought I was being about resolutionaries, I might be a little harder on these folks. Some are realists, saying, "I dont believe in making resolutions that I know I wont keep." Some are party poopers, "People who make resolutions are idiots. You're not going to change at all!!" Some are lazy, "Meh, I just dont feel like doing any." Some are pessimists, "I dont feel like failing at something ELSE." Some are passive resolutionaries, "My only resolution this year is to love me for me, I'm not going to try and change anymore." Some are too cool, "Resolutions are lame. I'm too good for all that." Some people are scared, "I dont know what i should resolve to change...there's just so much, I dont think I could take letting myself down again."
Both groups are entirely pathetic. lol..what? Not expecting that? Yeah, we're all pathetic though...Thinking the new year is going to change anything, or belittling people who want to make a genuine go of it.
I have never ever been consistent with myself when it comes to making real change. I will change for a while, then fall back into old patterns. I am who I am! (thats one of my goals for this year, remember? Accept me for me and stop apologizing) If I'm truly honest though, "Who I am" is someone who really likes to make changes all the time. I like to mix it up! I like to run after ridiculous ideas and completely immerse myself in one thing until I get really tired of it.
It is WHO I AM to make resolutions and not keep them. And its AWESOME!!
Allow me to illustrate. I resolved once to be a marathoner. I never finished the marathon, but I did 4 halves and 23 miles of a whole...and I saw alligators and have a great story about the day I didnt finish. And a little unresolved bitterness against marathons in general that someday might resurface and prompt me to try again.
I resolved once to be an ironman (ironwoman?) I wanted to complete a FULL Ironman!! I ended up doing two sprint triathlons and have a pretty fun time on two vacations that I wouldnt have otherwise taken.
I resolved once to lose 65lbs! I lost 40, and feel a little better, even though I didnt finish.
I resolved once to WRITE A BOOK! I have started a few...one was even fiction! I never finished, but i had a great memory of having a few beers with friends and dreaming up an insanely creative story...
Resolutions arent bad. Failing to keep them isnt bad. Because even if we blow it, and ruin any chance we have at success, we can still have a heck of a lot of fun trying. So make those ridiculous resolutions!!! Work really hard at them for a week or a month or six months!! Fail Miserably on the first day if you want!! But it is much better to try and fail than to never try at all...
For 2012, I have the goals from my previous post to which I would like to add a resolution I have tried before back in 2009...The familiar old "As I ought" resolution. I'm going to do what I should when I should and stop putting off doing things or quitting things that I know would bring me peace, order and joy...
Happy 2012 everyone!
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