"New Year's Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual." -Mark Twain
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I will admit that I am among most people today who are thinking about the new year and all of the changes they plan to implement in it. I escaped it last year, I was recovering from an accident and really was just mad that I couldn't go snowmobiling with my friends as planned. Here I am though, again thinking about all the ways I think that I could become better. There are quite a few of them too. It is amazing how many faults one can find with one's self when I one really thinks about it. I have decided that although I am obviously almost nearly not a human once you look at my list, I need to probably narrow things down. Compartmentalize things like I compartmentalize my life. Maybe pick one or two for every area. It sounds systematic, which is a new thing this year, but I really can't think of any other way to do it. I mean what is really the bast way to map out how you think you should be, how you want to be? It is sadly once a year that we as a human race collectively take a good long look at ourselves and decide we want to change something. We decide to do something worth while in the coming year. By worth while I mean that we want to help with relief efforts in another country, we want to read to local blind people, we want to be a Big Brother or Bog Sister, we want to go see the old lady at the end of the block who really annoys everyone but has no family, we want to help see our families more, or send everyone a birthday card this year. Neighbors decide to try to be less annoying to each other. Siblings decide to lay off each other a little (not totally) this year. I think that as long as the change is positive then it is a good resolution. We effect each other in ways that we can't ever understand, but we can try to make someone else's life that much easier. What happens when those well intentioned resolutions go by the wayside and are soon forgotten? Well, I would say that most of us at least start out strong and that means doing something at least once. Whom ever it will effect will know that you thought of them at least once. At least one of your siblings got a card on their birthday, and one may have even gotten one a little later than the birthday, but you thought of them. Of course, I can't say that ALL resolutions positively affect others, or even at all. Like the standard "I will lose 10 pounds this year". Unless you are doing this with someone else and keeping your resolution is helping them keep theirs it has no real influence past a slight hike in gym membership. And to those who are wanting to finally do things like "cut down that tree that blocks the sun into the front room", well your neighbor who probably really enjoys looking at that tree will be disappointed to see it go.
Beyond how many resolutions we may have, or how they may or may not affect someone else, I think that we should also think about what we LIKE about ourselves. We are sometimes so consumed by what did not turn out so great for us over the last year, or what we don't like about ourselves that we never acknowledge the good. Try to have at least one good thing for every bad I say. If thinking so hard about bad can bring such results I would say the method works for what I did like. Life should be balanced. Of course I would say that if you can't come up with that many good things than it is that much more incentive to keep at least on resolution so that you can put it on next years good list!
So let me share my lists with you. It will probably be long, but hey- I warned you.
Resolutions:
1) Loose weight
2) Stop drinking Soda
3) Occupy less than four jobs this calender year
4) Apply to go back to collage by Fall 2010
5) Send every family member a birthday card (on time, even though some of them will have to settle for a belated one)
6) Learn to cook at least three dishes well
7) Get out of all stupid debt, ie: all credit except for my car and school which were essentials
8) Whiten my teeth
9) See the Northern Lights in person
10) Study my scriptures on a more regular basis, and outside of church
11) Learn to play at least one song on the piano (I have one, and have started learning, but it has been slow going so far, I need a better goal)
12) Volunteer at an animal shelter at least once a month
13) Volunteer at a Woman's shelter at least once a month
14) Go to visit my two best friends who have both been away for the last year and a half on missions.
15) Keeping the line of communication open between me and the Lord through prayer, scripture study, faith, obedience, and service
16) Attend the family get together this summer.
17) Take more pictures
18) Help my Dad plant his garden this year (I won't be around to help take care of it if my job plans go well, but I want to have one of my own someday and this is a good time to learn these things. Man, the things one wishes to have paid attention to when one was younger and being forced to do these things)
19) Get my passport (that is just a good idea these days)
20) Go visit Grandma in Arizona before she croaks (that may sound insensitive, but she really wants to and is really old so I don't really feel bad)
21) Help to truly change a person's life for the better. (this is really vague, but there is no real way to map it out. I just want to be more alert to those around me I guess, and be able to recognise an opportunity when I see it)
The Good List:
1) I love all the reading I was able to do this year. Books continue to be a passion of mine, and hopefully always will be.
2) I learned that I am tougher than I think I am, and my threshold for pain is higher than originally anticipated.
3) I participated in a triathlon
4) I moved away from Jackson (this was bitter sweet since I loved it there, and will always consider the years there as some of the best in my life, but to leave was necessary and I finally was brave enough to do so)
5) I think back to all of the talks that I had with my roommate and best friend, Shalese, and I all I do is smile. Those were good times, even when it was late and I ended up not getting to work on time the next day, or when the topic was less than happy.
6) I made a resolution last year to write my two best friends on missions every week. By May it wasn't quite every week, but I continue to write on a regular basis to both, if not spaced farther apart.
7) I got to see a lot of wild life up close in my summer job.
8) I finally got Ice Skates, I have been wanting a pair since I was like five.
9) I started more than one story. I know starting is not finishing, but since it is sometimes really hard for me to get even the general idea for my stories down on paper it is a step up.
10) I had an awesome day of shopping, hiking, picture taking, eating, ice skating, and just general fantastic fun with my friends. It was one of those memorable days that one cherishes.
11) I got to me a ton of good people this summer, making friends and having fun.
12) I learned the value of a good resume'
13) I started a bucket list
14) I got my good friend Cate in the habit of writing in a journal. (journal writing is another of my passions. I think that everyone should do it. It is good for the soul)
15) I learned that I really don't like 9-5 office jobs (the process to realizing this was boring, long, and a little painful at times but now I know for future reference)
16) I got an unexpected pen pal from an unexpected place
17) I learned that there are some qualities that we should never grow out of.
18) I learned how to ATV and got to do it for about a week and a half and get paid for it!
19) I continue with my journal writing
20) I got to go to Girls Scout Camp
21) I learned that I can and should have detailed monthly charts for handling my money
22) I got to witness a triple rainbow come out while on a hike, surrounded by God's beautiful creation (I didn't take any pictures though and keep my friend didn't get a very good one, hence the "take more pictures" resolution)
23) I learned that most people are beautiful if you take the time to look, and that sometimes the biggest dis-service you can do yourself is to not take that time.
