Earlier, I believed that new year resolutions are humbug, artificial, pretentious etc. Now I suspect that they are humbug, artificial, pretentious etc. I make them nevertheless because it gives me an opportunity to look at areas in my life that need improvement.
So far, I have kept a few resolutions - e.g. no smileys in blog posts (I am not sure if it was a new year resolution, but it was a resolution alright), no yelling when angry (no, really, I did keep that end up, and now I don't even get angry too often, touch wood) etc. and broken a few (do surya namaskar every day, cut down on coffee etc.) When I analyse them, I realise that those I have kept have mattered to me very much and those broken are not really THAT important in the large picture.
I think resolutions help make habits and habits become your character. While there is no sanctity of a particular date in which to make them, it helps some people who are particularly scatterbrained, to have a socially accepted reference point.
2011 will see me do the following
a. Stop worrying. I have been, as my daughter says, a worry wart all of last year. It reached a point where I had migraines and perpetual stomach cramps. Just logical thinking tells me that worrying does not do much other than killing you (and making all your hair fall out), and I read somewhere that worry is the interest on the loan you never took. I will not worry about things that I have no control over. I don't have any more hair to lose.And for things I can control, why worry? I am not going my mom's way of ulcers that came out of (a) constant irrational worry (b) food indiscpline. In a way, it is ok to accept that que sera sera and go on with life.
b. Get in touch with my spiritual side. Perhaps it is a sign of middle age. Perhaps it is a rediscovered spirit. Whatever it is, I seem to find immense peace in my own spiritual practice. I hope to dip into it more. Start meditation, go to temples more regularly and be more sincere with the daily prayers, for a start.
c. Accept people the way they are. I used to be like that. But of late, I have started finding too many faults with people. This can only lead to homophobia, which I don't propose to entertain. People are nice. If they are not nice at any instant, there is probably a reason. Ignore the bad.
d. Do surya namaskar regularly (at least this year?)
e. Don't cut down on coffee. Yes, DON'T. I went to a family meet today and discovered that a cousin, not much older than me, has started showing signs of Parkinsons. It is scary because it proves that there is a rogue gene in my family gene pool that codes for Parkinsons - I already lost an uncle to the disease, and another one is in his final stages. This is the first time someone from MY generation has fallen prey to it. I know coffee helps avoid or at least delay Parkinsons. I will keep my dose of coffee without feeling guilty about it.
So there, I have my resolutions in the open.
Happy New Year to my visitors here. Thank you for all the ego boost you have been giving me and I hope I will keep meeting you here this year as well.
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