New Year's Resolutions

My New Year’s Resolution

                The New Year is a time when we start anew and with some would call a clean slate and, for some, try to erase the memory of the past year. We make resolutions to “better” ourselves, our lives and relationships. We ultimately resolve to do better at whatever it is we think we failed at in the last year.  The top New Year’s resolutions that are made include bettering our lifestyles, that is living healthier and with more fervor for life.  I must admit my resolution always includes trying to lose a little weight.  I am here to propose something a little different this year.

               What if our resolutions were not to just do better than or to be better than or to even forget the mistakes and failed resolutions of last year, What if you and I resolve to capitalize off of what the last year brought.  This means taking the lessons we learned from our failures and success and actually taking them to heart so that we do not make the same mistake again or make the next success that much bigger.  I’m going to throw in a small disclaimer here:  I am not referring to success in terms of money; this is strictly a personal success whatever that is to you. For some it could be the weight you did lose, the relationships you did build or rebuild, maybe for some it is not falling back into the same bad habits that had a part in destroying those relationships or your personal view of yourself.  These are personal victories.  Maybe you had a great year, awesome, what did you learn that can make this next year even better!  What personal victories can you build off of and better yet who else can you help have their own personal victory.

               If there is one thing that I learned this past year it is that my personal victories were achieved with help.  With the support of those I loved I overcame or started to overcome many personal fears, and started to break down and even did break down some emotional walls that had built up in my heart and in my life.  But the crazy part was when they helped me they also had walls come down or fears overcome.  By pushing me and helping me they were able to be more open a vulnerable and have a few personal victories of their own…some they didn’t even know they needed to have.  So I started opening my eyes to those around me who were asking for my help and actually making time to help them and more victories were had. Some came after a tragedy and others came in the midst of another victory, but this I do know, it was not easy.   It took blood sweat and tears and a lot of the time it was not fun, but it was so worth it.

             As Christians we tend to have a multi-faceted resolution.  This includes doing better in our spiritual life; praying more, doing a better job keeping up with our devotions and daily bible readings, bring a certain number of people to Christ.  All of this along with our resolutions to lose weight or eat healthier or even just live a healthier lifestyle.  However, I’m going to issue the same challenge to those of us with the list of resolutions that is double sided.  Don’t try to push a reset button and start over.  Build off of the struggles and victories and share them.  One reason we find it so hard to have a victory is because we keep all of our struggles to ourselves.  Find someone or many someones whom you trust to help push you and hold you accountable.  These will be people who will listen to you and not judge too quickly. Someone who knows your struggle or even someone who can encourage you to not give up, we all need a cheerleader.   Also ask God to open your eyes to the people around you that you can serve.  Just as we need encouragement and sometimes the hard truth so does someone else and you may just be the one they need. This would be an example of iron sharpening iron.  And don’t close yourself off from helping someone else because you don’t have it all together.  Because if you wait till then, well let’s be honest we will never have it all together.

         How many of us try to separate our resolutions into different categories?  I know a few that do and I have as well, but what if we chose not to separate our lives into parts what if we just combined them.  So instead of trying to complete your mile long list one at a time why not pair them up?!  Don’t choose between a healthier physical lifestyle or spiritual one.  Find ways to gain wisdom and live healthy at the same time.  One thing I love to do is exercise while listening to a podcast.  I know it seems kind of weird but when I was listening to an hour long sermon or a twenty minute Joyce Meyer podcast I actually was no longer paying attention to how tired I was, but actually focused on absorbing every little bit of knowledge I could from the person talking into my ear. Oddly enough I remembered more of it after the workout and was able to write down a lot of what I had learned in my journal.  What I’m trying to say here is please don’t pick and choose which part of you to better.

This is my resolution:

I resolve to not forget my struggles

For through them I will gain

A victory

I resolve to let my victories

Be the starting point

To overcome

My failures

I resolve to open my heart,

Ears and thoughts to

The leading of the spirit

So that I may serve

As I am being

Served

I resolve to not go it alone

To be vulnerable

With someone

I love so

That I might overcome

Even more of my

Fear and my

Struggles

I resolve not to start over

But to finish what

Has begun

In me

I resolve not to attempt to

Control my life in a

Negative way

But

To let the Lord take control

Of molding me and

Teaching me

To be the

Best

Me

I do however resolve to

Take responsibility

For the parts

Of my life

That I can

Change

And

Live

Well