...resolve...

Recently, I overheard two people discussing their New Year's resolutions.

One person was saying that is was a struggle to keep the promise he had made to himself, but he was determined to "hold out longer" than he had last year. The other person joked that his resolution was broken before New Year's Day had ended. 

They laughed.

And I laughed.

But then I had a thought:

Why are we intentionally making promises to ourselves that we know will, inevitably, be broken? And why are we laughing about it?

If your brother, or your best friend, or your neighbor made you a promise and immediately turned around and broke it, would you be laughing?

If it isn't acceptable for someone to treat you that way, why are you treating yourself in that manner?

And since when is a resolution a promise?

A promise is an intention - an indication of what may or may not happen in the future.

A resolution is a firm determination.

***

If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that I  haven't made a New Year's resolution in over 15 years.

Personally, I find them silly. If I really want to do more or less of something, well, I'm an adult and I'll do it, or not do it, as the case may be. I don't need it to be on a certain day of the year. If I decide on Tuesday, May 10th that I want to skip around my house an hour a day, I will. I won't have to wait until January 1st to do so, either. 

Instead of a resolution, I participate in OneWord365. 

You pick one word and you do your best to live that word everyday for the entire year.

This year, my word is truth.

Not because I'm a liar.

Because I need to live in truth, and walk in truth, and hear truth.

Because truth is courage, and courage is never weakness.

Because the truth will set you free...even if it first makes you angry.

The thing about truth is that it exists beyond belief. It is true even if no one believes it.

And the truth is that nothing great comes from living in your comfort zone.

Truth is why I've started writing again in the first place.
Truth is what allows you behind my curtain, where you can see that the Great and Powerful Oz is merely human.
And, the truth is, this human is just seeing if any other humans are listening.

If I could leave you with one last bit of truth for today, it  would be this:

Take a good long look at yourself and evaluate your life.

Are you living your life to it's fullest potential?

Are you really living...or are you just surviving?

Find some resolve.

Resolve to be the best version of you.

Resolve to make better habits.

Resolve to be a positive thinker.
Resolve to let things go already.

Resolve to love - yourself, each other, everyone.