Battelor Griffon

Battelor Griffon
Photo by Diana Robicheaux

Friday, December 31, 2010

Happy New Year!

Another year ends tonight and a whole new one starts tomorrow!

I don't make New Year's resolutions anymore.  I realized when I was a teenager that I was only setting myself up for failure and disappointment. It never occurred to me that maybe I had unrealistic ideals set for myself.  Like lose a ton of weight, become the most beautiful girl in school and make all the guys love me and the girls jealous.  Yeah, like that was ever going to happen.  Or swear to get straight A's.  In art class maybe.

All that stressing to achieve things that were unrealistic did nothing but make me very unhappy.  And the truth was, I didn't really want those things in the first place.  Okay, maybe I did want the straight A's, but tests always made me draw a blank so I knew it wouldn't happen.  But the rest of it was all simply to make others, family, friends, even strangers, happy with me.  So I was the one who was unhappy because changing yourself to make others happy always leads to heartache.

I actually kept the very last New Year's resolution I made: Never to make another New Year's resolution ever again.  No, from then on if something needed doing I would simply do it.  I don't make unrealistic demands on myself or others and I don't accept them either.  I don't rush important things just to get them done and I don't leave the simple stuff undone because I'm too busy.  Except for the dishes from the night before.  Well, and maybe some laundry, but you get the idea.

So, my wish for myself and all of you is simply this: Get real and be genuine.  Appreciate yourself, your family and every day you have just the way it is.  Fix problems as they arise and don't worry about what hasn't happened yet.  If you do, you'll miss a lot of great opportunities and unexpected pleasures in life. 

Take a moment to say "I love you" to your family members even if you're not really feeling it right then.  I promise you won't be sorry later and they'll remember it.  If you feel like yelling at your loved ones, hug them instead and see what happens.  Do one small thing everyday that makes you happy: listen to music, watch a favorite show, read a book, or grab a pint of your favorite ice cream.

And have a Happy New Year!