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Chapter 365: Stop It! It's Tuesday!

New Beginnings.
New Year, New Me!
Out with the old and in with the new.

Let's stop. We're not children anymore. New Year's Eve is a good excuse to have a party and tomorrow, we'll be cleaning the house, watching football, planning to go to work, or some other things we do all the time. Many have made resolutions, aka empty promises to begin something which could have been started on November 11th or any other day they chose not to. We use this day as an excuse to hold off and then begin anew. The reality is, we have rent to pay. car payments, food and gas to purchase. Same as any soon-to-be first of the month. For those of us who work in schools, we just passed the one-third mark in December. So this new beginning feels a lot like the same old, same old.

This is not to say this calendar year shouldn't hold hopes for a brighter future. We can't get any worse than what we see in our political, religious, and general decency climate. We won't even discuss our literal climate. There's a lot of hate, anxiety, and depression going on in the world. The world is finding new ways to divide us and while most have their heads in the sand, it is not making our bigger problems disappear. In fact, the disconnect between people's everyday lives and the world around them is growing. New Year's resolutions, typically, are selfish changes,. where we demand a better self, but only for our self's benefit. Imagine if we all made resolutions to better others' lives.

I know. Heresy!  So many people's mantra is to love one's self before they love another, yet they also preach the importance of family, friendship, and community. The irony is lost on them. Why can't we be resolute and make a commitment to bettering those lives that surround us, simply benefiting from the joy we see in others? Why can't making better choices for the lives of all beings be enough? It is by the way.

The greatest flaw with the entire concept of the "New" Year and those commitments we make to ourselves is perfection. We put unrealistic goals on things we never meet to achieve and when we invariably fail, we quit. We're not perfect beings, far from it, and if we all just pledge to be a little better to others, whether they be humans, animals, or simply nature, we will improve ourselves and everyone we come in contact with. Imagine if everyone simply wanted to be a little better for themselves and others? That's my resolution and I don't have to be perfect to succeed.

Happy Tuesday All! May your Wednesday be no worse than another day here. 

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