Resolutions or revolution

YOUR FAMILY'S HEALTH & WELLNESS

It would be great to see the landscape change from all the “New Year’s resolutions” that have been trashed or abandoned. There is a methodology to stop these unattainable goals in their tracks!

First off—not sure who started all of this or when. It is purported that it was enacted around 4,000 years back by the Babylonians making promises to their gods during their 12-day New Year Festival. This practice traveled to the Romans honoring Janus and then trickled down to the medieval knights and then to the rest of us. My husband says that the whole business is ridiculous and, given human nature, is definitely “failure-oriented, and besides (when you are perfect…), if it ain’t broken, why fix it?” I tend to agree, somewhat. We can fix broken things, anytime during any year once we come to realize it needs repaired.

If you are in the habit or tradition of making resolutions, try making small ones that you deem attainable, for the most part at least. Throw in, maybe, one tough one so that you have the time and stamina to make it as you won’t be bogged down attaining the small ones.

Here are a few easy ones to knock out:

1) Don’t keep company with “toxicity.” This requires no explanation.

2) Eat to live rather than live to eat.

3) Take responsibility for your own health—this is one great thing for which you can use the internet. 

4) If neatness and organization aren’t your forte, try this on for size. Select one room in your house and overhaul it; clean and organize it like crazy. Call it your project room. I promise, after a while, you will find yourself spending more and more time in that room, which may, in turn, serve as a catalyst for an entire home transformation. You will be healthier for it.

5) Be more keenly aware of your faults than of others—meaning don’t gossip. Some folks are erroneously under the impression that “If it is true, it isn’t gossip.” True or false, it doesn’t matter before any of us opens our pie holes, we should ask ourselves: “Does this information help or hurt the subject being discussed?” 

6) Be anxious for nothing—instruction from the Bible (Phillipians 4:6) We can be “concerned in short doses…long enough to be moved to help, neutralize or avoid problems, but worry means “concerned in speeding out of control.”

7) Slow down in the upcoming year. If not, we won’t reflect on last year in order to dissect and judge what we did wrong or right. We must learn from our “wrongs” and duplicate our “rights.”

8) Reach out regularly to your friends and by doing so you will be able to discern who the “keepers” are versus who was insincere with their “We have to do lunch!”

9) Develop the “attitude of gratitude!” We take so very, very much for granted in this country and it isn’t an attractive behavior. Don’t disregard the little things as this is the bulk of life.

10) Try to keep your thoughts in the spiritual realm at least half the time! This means be conscious of and give thought to “How do I behave day to day in a manner that pleases my Heavenly Father?” And, as well, read The New Testament (Would one chapter a day REALLY kill us?) I emphasize the NT because this is where we are told exactly HOW He wants to be worshipped and WHAT gets us to heaven. God has given us everything He had and we give so little, if anything at all. He sacrificed His son and we are expected to sacrifice in return in order to honor Him. We can’t do this by spending every waking spare moment on Tik Tok, YouTube, Facebook, etc. We are honoring the world by doing this—not our creator.

I propose an endeavor towards revolution (we gravitate and revolve around purity and goodness). We grow our consciences and improve our behaviors rather than resolutions which, normally, only improves our existence on earth.

The year 2026 is a chance to do better, think better and maybe make God happy He created each of us. Embrace it!