Another New Year’s Eve – In my lifetime there have been 45 of these. I start contemplating the day after Christmas each year what my resolutions may be. I’ve made them all – the most common among them for all of us is probably to lose weight, to exercise more, to save more, to be more patient with my children and spouse, to walk my dogs more (it’s not enough to have guilt as a parent but as a dog owner too – just load it on – maybe one of my commitments to myself should be to feel less guilt!)
This year, in all my wisdom, I decided not to make any “resolutions” but instead to approach the whole concept differently.
The word “resolution” has been attached to the New Year since 153 B.C. when the Romans came up with a mythical king named “Janus” and positioned him at the head of the calendar. He was knows as the “God of Beginnings and Guardian of Entrances”. He was characterized with two faces; one on the front to look forward to the New Year and one seemingly looking back.
I love this visual and it was my inspiration to not necessarily replace what we have come to know as “resolutions” but instead to do my soul searching and look at my “life lessons” from the previous year and face them in the coming year with courage and spirit. Instead of committing “to do this or not do that”, I will commit to having the mental and moral strength to resist opposition and to keep my morale when opposed or threatened.
Therefore, it is a mental exercise that helps when approaching any change or challenge. This makes if feel more like a gradual process that takes shape over the coming year and will help one feel as though they are working toward something. Often times, it just takes a new outlook to make changes seem possible and feel reasonable.
