Yep, it's that time of the year again, the end of the year, to be exact,
and of course, the beginning of a new year. Time again for that demoralizing,
pointless ritual, The Making of the Annual Resolution That You Never
Keep and Can't Believe You Made In The First Place. Who the hell came
up with this idea, anyway? It's weird; it's like some kind of half-assed
lent inflicted on people who where lucky enough to escape the ever reaching
grasp of religion. The only difference being, instead of giving something
up, you swear up, down, and all around that you are going to change
something about yourself, your life, your habits, etc..., etc..., etc...
You end up setting some impossible standard for yourself, then get depressed
because things don't turn out the way you expected. And 9 times out
of 10, what you're trying to change isn't even about you, it's about
how you think others perceive you.
First of all, I know personal growth is a scary and difficult thing;
however it is not something you can compartmentalize into ten easy steps
and set a time limit on. This is an ongoing thing that takes you pretty
much the rest of your life to accomplish. Don't worry, as you approach
every new situation in life, you'll feel the results of your ever-growing
maturity, even if you can't quite define what's different about the
situation.
Second, many people use resolutions as exterior solutions to interior
problems. People will resolve to lose weight, change the shape of their
bodies, acquire bigger and better clothes, cars, appliances,... the
list is endless. You really have to ask yourself: Why aren't I happy?
What will make me happy? Take a deep breath, and it's not that hard
to figure out what you really need to be happy. I guess the real trick
is figuring out what you need to be happy with yourself.
You see, this is a two-part answer, because a lot of people resolve
to change something about themselves to suit someone else. Your significant
other thinks you need to lose ten pounds, or your parents think you're
a failure because you don't make a lot of money, or nobody understands
why you don't ever want to have kids. Whatever. All I can say is, it
doesn't matter who lives your life for you, because you're still the
one who has to live with the consequences.
And third? Why the hell does this resolution have to be notarized, ratified,
and publicized on New Year's Eve? Isn't it enough for the cosmos that
you made it through the previous year with out any major mishaps?
Sounds like efficient marketing, to me. Come to think of it, how do
we know the catholic church isn't behind this?
Seriously, if you're going to resolve to alter your lives, my Darlings,
make sure it's something you really want to change, and that you're
changing for the right reasons. And while you're at it, cut your self
some slack. If you don't accomplish enough in one year, just keep going
until you're at the level you want to be. The idea is to feel better
about what kind of person you are, not punish yourself.
I know that New Year's Eve seems like a good time to take stock of your
lives.
I think you should leave your live stock alone.
See Ya Next Year,
The Mighty Afrodite