Resolution Revolution

Another new year is upon us. With that comes the onslaught of resolutions. I want to lose weight. I want to stop smoking. I want to read more, spend less, get healthy, be happier, call my mom more, volunteer, and on and on and on. I've never been a fan of resolutions. I think it's because the pressure I put on myself to achieve them is anxiety inducing and puts too much stress on the situation for it to ever be successful.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of setting goals, adding structure to your life and deciding you're worth more than what you've got. I have a tradition of setting intentions on my birthday, not on New Year's Eve, as my birthday begins my new year. However, I have found that as the years go on, my intentions and goals have been more geared toward my holistic health. The mind, body, and soul.

I want to lose weight turned into I will acknowledge my body where it is and honor it in everything I do. I will respect and love my body as it respects and loves me. I will move my body, nourish my body, and take care of it as best I can.

I want to quit smoking turned into it will happen when it happens. I am leaving the pressure behind me and allowing my mind to tell me it's time. After all, this is the only addiction I haven't kicked. I will be proud of myself for kicking those other addictions and take time to allow my mind to figure out a life free of any addiction.

I want to read more turned into I will spend less time on a screen. I will dive deeper into these interests I've had for a long time and study the things that make me happy. I will have no goals for my reading, no time frames, only pure enjoyment.

The new year is not always about leaving your last year's self in the dust. You do not need to recreate yourself (unless you want to). Instead, allow yourself compassion. Meet yourself where you are today and accept that person wholly. Then, and only then, can you understand what changes you would like to make in your life. If you are not happy, you need to understand why. Is it your surroundings? Your family? Yourself? Perhaps one masked as another? You may never know unless you take a breath, find yourself, and sit there for a while.

Now, each year my intentions are always the same. Be at peace. Be happier than I was last year. Be kinder that I was last year. Be open to the possibility of change. Rest with intention. To be at peace, I need to take care of myself. I need to eat well, move my body, sleep well; take care of the mind, body and spirit wholly and completely. To be happier, I find more moments throughout the day, seconds even, that bring a smile to my face and meet me in joy. To be kinder, simply do just that. Be open to others, be aware that your situation is unique, and treat everyone exactly how you would want to be treated. Being open to the possibility of change is the toughest of them all. I've never been a fan of change, but change is inevitable, isn't it? Being open to the possibility of change, even if nothing ever changes, makes it that much easier to accept it if and when it happens. To rest with intention is taking time for yourself. Resting the body with a good night sleep. Resting the mind from anxieties and to-do lists and work. Resting the soul with good music and laughter. But also resting the eyes from screen time. Resting the voice by not filling every silence. Resting fully and enjoying the spaces in between those items on the to-do list.

Resolutions don't need to be complicated. Hell, they don't even need to be life changing on paper. But the fact is that each resolution you make, each intention that you set, will bring you that much closer to being the person you've always wanted to be or the person you were always meant to be. Finding intentions or resolutions you can bring with you, not just into 2022, but into every year down the line, I've found, is much more rewarding and fulfilling in ways I couldn't begin to imagine all those years ago.

Happy New Year, stay safe and stay kind.