For 2017, I resolve not to make any resolutions

Why do we choose to make life-changing resolutions only at the new year?

People say "I'm going to work out!" or "I'm going to lose weight!" I read somewhere that the new year brings more gym memberships than at any other time of the year. I also read that they tend to fizzle out before January ends. Some may actually make it through February or March, but it's a rare person that makes it all year through.

People say they will quit smoking, then pick it again up by February. Others claim that they will eat only healthy foods, but you know they've picked up Taco Bell, Whataburger, or McDonald's by the end of the month. Or, despite the choice not to eat desserts, that pint of ice cream calls to them from the dairy section. I mean, really, who can resist the siren wail of Rocky Road or Cookie Dough Ice Cream for long? And, that choice not to drink as much tends to die by the end of the evening.

Why make resolutions only on New Year's Eve? Really, shouldn't we resolve to be better people year-round? Every single day? We have witnesses to our existence everywhere around us: our children, our friends, our families. In teacher education, we learn that we are models for our students 24/7, no matter what. It's the same with our friends and family. Who was it that said "Be the change you want to see in the world?" Some say Ghandi, others say he definitely didn't say it. All I know is that I like it. For me, it's true. Think about this. If you wake up in a negative mood, you tend to be negative all day and see all the negative in the world. When you wake up in a positive mood, you tend to see the good.

So, I resolve not to make a resolution.

Instead, I'm going to continue as I am. Daily, I try to be a better person than I was the day before. I began a process a few years ago and I'm still on that path. Not because it was New Year's Eve, but because I recognized a personal need for change. I wasn't happy with who I was at the time.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't evil and I wasn't a bad person. But, I was not happy. I wasn't satisfied with my weight, my outlook, my relationships, my job, or my life in general.

So, I started small. I started with small changes that ended up being huge in their simplicity.

Daily, I try to eat right and do what I need to stay healthy. So now, I walk regularly and I feel better. I take my Plexus and my allergies have decreased. I switched to an ecig versus smoking a pack a day and I can sing again. Have I lost the weight? No, I haven't. But now I recognize the value in my shape. I recognize that my body is right where it wants to be and I'm finally okay with that.

Daily, I try to show my family that I love and appreciate them. We've always had good relationships, but I think they actually know how I feel about them. Our relationships are better than ever!

Daily, I do my best to work hard and do my job competently and efficiently. I enjoy my classes and I like to think my students enjoy them, too. I feel like I'm doing a good job and I like the way my work feels in my gut. It feels right.

Daily, I do my best to treat everyone around me with respect, compassion, and care. Yes, even those people who push their way into the grocery store or cut me off while driving. I don't know their stories. And, we all have stories. Are they in a hurry for a particular reason? I don't know, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt, smile, and wave them on. It may make absolutely no difference for them, but it makes me happier. That's all I can do, so I'll do it.

Daily, I make an effort to find the joy and happiness in the small things. I watch the birds play in the tree in the front yard. (This morning, it was sparrows.) I enjoy the beauty of flowers. I look at pieces around my house and enjoy the memory of the giver or the moment I found it. I enjoy my coffee. It's the little things that make up a big life.

I don't always succeed, but I always try. I'm not going to choose to make that effort only at the beginning of the year. The new year is only a marker that indicates the passage of time, it's not a starting flag for a race. It's certainly not a starter pistol telling the world to start making changes now.

I choose to live my life knowing that my life has value. Even if the value is only within myself, I choose to enjoy it.

So, Happy New Year's! Enjoy the passage of time and celebrate your opportunity to enjoy it. But don't make life changes merely because of the passage of time. Make changes because you choose to enjoy the time available to you.