2012

It is time to once again consider the New Year’s Resolutions.  From my experience most people are very good at making their list of resolutions, but most of us are not quite as good at keeping these well-intentioned resolutions.  I know that is hard to do, so I have decided that I am going to make some suggestions on changes that one might make in lieu of the dreaded resolutions.

My first suggestion is to make a concerted effort to do something for yourself daily, and at the very least, weekly.  Many people are great at giving to others, which I consider a noble and necessary part of being a member of the human race, but when it comes to doing something for themselves they often fall short.  Make a point this year to try and balance what you do for others with doing some nice things for yourself.  You will be surprised how much better you feel about YOU and this is going to positively impact how you feel about and what you do for others. YOU are important, so treat yourself accordingly.

Next, I want to encourage everyone to find a way to exercise the the body and make it a part of your daily routine.  The body has a limited life expectancy, and if we want to live longer and feel better we need to take care of it.  A daily walk, a trip to the gym, a bike ride on one of the local trails, walking nine holes, or doing some gardening can only make your body feel better.  To put movement into your life is amazingly powerful and once again when YOU feel good people around you will be impacted in ways that you never thought possible.  I know you are all busy, so get creative and find some new and different ways to get in shape.  Once you discover a great way to get moving share this with friends and you might be surprised at the ripple effect.

Train the brain is next on my list of suggestions.  The brain is one of the largest muscles in the body and yet a huge percentage of its power goes under utilized.  You would never think to play a sport seriously and not exercising or doing some serious training.  Why is it that we pay so little attention to training our brain?  Read a book, watch the news carefully, have serious conversations with others, argue once in a while with those who disagree with you.....force your brain to gather information and then put it to use in some way each day.  Once you stop learning you may as well be dead.  No joke!!!!  

Find some way to add love into your life.  These are both everywhere and we are so busy with the things that take up most of our day that we do not give as much attention to either of these as we should.  Give compliments often!  Little recognitions of what people do is really powerful and greatly appreciated.....a tremendous expression of love.   Give a bunch of compliments each day and you may even find that the workplace is more pleasant and a whole lot more gets done.  Love is all about seeing the best in others and then finding a way to let them know that you see their best.  Finding passion in your life is all about love. Use your love of art, gardening, wine, great food, or he family pet to incorporate feeling of love into your daily life.  Don’t forget that people love often gets lost, so pay attention to each and every person that crosses your path.  They need you and you need them.

I know this a lot to digest, so pick one, any one, and give it a shot.  You can and will make 2012 an amazing year not only for yourself, but for all the people that make up the fabric of your life.  Ultimately, I think you will find that once you get in touch with those things that make you happier as a person that your happiness will make its way into the lives of the people you come in contact with each day.

As I complete my list, I too can only hope to accomplish these tasks on at least a semi to regular basis.  It is hard sometimes to do the right thing or say the right thing.  As challenging as these all might be, they are worth the effort........you are worth the effort, and the people that you love are worth the effort as well.

I will keep you updated on my progress.

Happy New Year!!!