What’s Your #1 Resolution?
My top priority is to be more positive this year. With 2020 being an election year, that is going to prove to be an uphill battle.
If you’re looking for a reason to be unhappy, you don’t have to look far. Every day we encounter situations, people and information that can make us unhappy. The word “can” is key in the sentence. In case you don’t know, being happy or unhappy is entirely up to you. It’s not up to your boss, your spouse, your kids, your parents etc… It’s your choice. I can prove it.
If your best friend hits you on your arm, (assuming it’s not at full strength), you take it in stride. If a stranger, or worse, someone you don’t like hits you with the same force on your arm, you’re probably going to get mad. Same action, same force, same nerve message to your brain, yet you’ll react differently. YOU’LL react. It will be your choice how to respond.
At a certain age, you start to realize that although your surroundings may be constant, your mood can change. Sometimes I’m just not in a good mood, but I don’t know why. It is a choice.
There are a lot of ways to change your attitude from negative to positive. The effectiveness of any of them are subjective. Some of the more popular things you can do are:
Start exercising if you aren’t already.
Meditate
Avoid negative people
Stop watching the news
Personally, I have tried to become a news minimalist. I value knowing what’s happening in the community, but I don’t need to know about an earthquake in Albania killing 46 people. I’m not saying that it isn’t terrible, but I don’t need to start my morning with it on the local news station. Although local news tends to be much lighter than national or world news, they still like to lead with bad news. Of course nothing leads the news like the negativity spewing from D.C.
Washington is a sorry excuse for a governing body. It doesn’t matter which way you lean politically. The polarization of the citizens is disgusting. I don’t care what your political beliefs are, as I wouldn’t expect you to care what mine are. The last three years have been a perfect example of how two sides, which should be fighting for the betterment of a country, have been at war. This upcoming year will be even worse. The media has been fueling this battle, but they try to stop short of libel. The real attacks are just getting started. Get ready for a solid year of smear ads and more hate between parties.
Here’s the thing though – does it really matter? The short answer is, “No, it doesn’t.” We all get one vote. That vote is the only thing that you can do to influence the outcome of the election. There is no sense getting mad at the “other side,” when the only constructive thing you can do about it is vote when it’s your turn. Yelling at your TV is not going to change anything other than your blood pressure, and ultimately your health.
Of course, Washington isn’t the only thing out of your hands that can set you off. Maybe it’s that person at the light in front of you that has not yet moved when the light changed to green because they’re busy checking their email on their phone. Maybe it’s the person that can’t stay in their lane because they’re texting while driving. Maybe it’s that one co-worker…Maybe it’s the neighbor that doesn’t clean up after their dog. Whatever your vice, or vices, these all have a common thread. They are things that are out of your control, and it’s up to you how you’re going to react to them. Choose to be positive and not let your vices get the best of you.
I know that I won’t transcend this year to be on level with the Dalai Lama, but I am going to make a change, and for any of you that are like me currently, you should try to make a change, too. The older I get, the more reasons I can find to not be happy. I’m often sore when I wake up in the morning, which can be helped with regular exercise. Exercise can help you lose weight, lower stress and feel better when you get out of bed in the morning. And why are we all not exercising already? I’m also at that age where it’s time to start worrying about retirement, worrying about the kids etc… All these stresses I didn’t have when I was younger.
Although at that young age, ignorance was bliss, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get back there mentally.
We live in what many believe is the greatest country on earth. We have access to education, great healthcare, fresh groceries are available to us, we have freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and we don’t have to worry about being invaded by the military of a neighboring country. That means that everyone who wakes up in the U.S. has at least that going for them. If you’re healthy, that’s another positive. If your family is healthy, something else to be thankful for. Do you have a roof over your head? Food in the fridge? Can you afford to go to the movies this weekend? These are all things that you should be thankful for. Anything beyond this is a bonus. These are the things that you can focus on. I plan to focus on the things that I can control, and not worry about the things that I can’t control. I have to assume that if I live my best life, I will feel better, and those around me will also feel better. Referring back to #3, I don’t want to be the negative person that others need to try to avoid. Do you know any negative people? Do you like spending time with them? Then don’t be that person.
I hope you are able to achieve your positive goals in
2020 – whatever they may be. If you’re at the Harris Teeter and see someone smiling in 2020, hopefully it’s me. I hope to see you smiling, too.
