Happy New Year, friends! I was thinking of the brand new year and all it entails, and I must confess: yes, I was thinking of making resolutions. I get that resolutions are something we tend to simultaneously love and loathe. We know they’re good for us; we just don’t always enjoy the discipline healthy ambitions typically require.
Let’s also face it: often our list of annual ambitions is fairly similar to the year prior… we want to eat better, exercise more, and be a little nicer. Those are healthy aims. They’re still not always fun to resolve to do and then be held accountable.
Hence, I’ve been tooling with how to minimize the loathing for this year’s process. I wonder… how would it affect our fair-weather moods if instead of the stereotypical, annual process — instead of making challenging resolutions for ourselves — we made resolutions for other people? 🙂
For example…
For all teenagers (and adults)… I resolve to never text and drive.
For the NFL’s Roger Goodell… I resolve to be consistent in my discipline.
For NYC Mayor Bill deBlasio… I resolve to support both the people and police with both actions and words.
For all federal, state, and local governments… I resolve to not spend any more money than I take in.
For the IRS… I resolve not to be biased.
For Pres. Obama… I resolve to remember I’m only the President and not a writer of law.
For Congress… I resolve to remember I’m only a legislator and not the executor of law.
For Joe Biden… I resolve to run for President (please… your expressions would make it so much more entertaining for us all).
For Jeb Bush & Hillary Clinton, etal… I resolve to finally realize we don’t need the same families always in the White House.
For Chris Christie… I resolve to lose another 50 lbs. (I’m telling you; it’s your way to most effectively relate to half the population of the country — far more effective than any policy initiative).
For all politicians… I resolve to rely less on my teleprompter and speak more transparently than utilizing professional-speech-writer’s, rhetorically-pleasing remarks.
For Al Sharpton… I resolve to quit inciting disrespect.
For all cyberspace users… I resolve to never allow Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, Tumblr, or texting to substitute for authentic conversation.
(And again) For all cyberspace users… I resolve to be respectful in each of my expressions and rants.
Ok, ok… maybe we’re distorting the process here slightly. It’s not our job — nor are we capable of establishing aims for other people. Each of us has to choose to work on what’s healthy. I do wish we’d all be respectful… I do wish we’d realize that respect doesn’t equate to allowing a person to speak but still quietly inside, hold on to how stupid we think they are… I do wish we’d learn to listen, converse, and ask questions of all. That’s challenging for most of us — and for many of the above.
It may be easier to eat better, exercise more, and be a little nicer.
Respectfully… and Happy New Year…
AR