A New Year

This is the day for making resolutions for change in this coming year. This is the day when the past is put away for good and the future is a bright and clean slate, ready to fill with good things. At least, that's what many people do this day. For me, New Year's Day is not a day for resolutions. The last resolution I made was one to  make no more resolutions in January. It's the only one I've actually kept.

For the next 6-10 weeks the road will be full of people resolved to lose weight or get in shape. The gym will be  packed as well. For the next week or so they will drink more water, make healthier food choices, and exercise every day. The food resolutions might last until the Super Bowl in February, and by March the roads and gym will be home to those who do not resolve, but those who simply DO.

As for putting away the past year, I'm not convinced that's the right thing to do either. Granted, some years are better than others, but every year contains lessons to learn and remember. Every year has moments of satisfaction. Going into a new year hoping for something better doesn't accomplish anything except set up expectations for things outside of personal control.

I prefer to live in the present, neither dwelling on the past nor driven by the future. Each day has enough trouble and enough potential of its own. If I can awaken in the morning and put my feet on the floor, it's already a good day. If I can have a cup of coffee with a satisfying breakfast, I am more blessed than many.  If I can move my body for the sake of health, I am ahead of the game. If I have a job to do, my needs are met. If I have a purpose for each day, then I am rich.

I don't need the turn of the calendar to motivate me to think theses thoughts; they are part of my daily routine. Gratitude should be as natural as breathing for anyone living in this country. We have much to be thankful for.