Being Realistic About New Year's Resolutions and Welcoming 2013

New Year's resolutions - we all make them. We promise to quit smoking, to eat better and exercise, to lose weight, and many other things that we believe will make us healthier and happier. If we are lucky we at least make an attempt to keep them, but often never even get stared. We take on something we are not ready to tackle and then feel like a failure when we have not followed through.

Maybe it is time to be kinder to ourselves. To realize that if we have a few great days where we keep our resolutions and a couple of days we do not it is okay. We can get back on track after a bad day - it does not mean we have failed because of that slip up. Nobody is perfect and depending on what is going on in our lives, we will have bad days. The key is to move forward and not get bogged down by negativity.

I believe if we try to be the best person we are capable of being, if we treat everyone (family, friends, co-workers and strangers) with kindness, then the rest of our life will eventually fall into place as it should. If we realize that all of us are trying to ensure a good and safe life for our families, that we all experience the same trials and frustrations every day, then we will be surprised how much weight is lifted from our shoulders. When that weight leaves us then each day seems easier and brighter. Hanging on to the negative is easy - embracing and practicing the positive is sometimes much harder, but the payoff is priceless.

So this New Year's Eve I will not be making any specific resolutions. My goal is to welcome 2013 and look forward to a great year. The only "resolution" I will make is to live my life with a positive attitude and try to do what is right for me, my family, and all of those I come into contact with. Hopefully by doing this I will encourage others to do the same. Who knows - maybe it will just catch on and we will accomplish many good things in 2013! 


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