New Year's Resolutions and Exhilarate your soul

“New Year’s Resolutions” As one year comes to an end and another starts, how many times do you see these three words or something similar plastered in the headlines?  For any journalist, it’s an easy story to fill the blank pages on their paper.   

A tradition that has been reported to begin way back in time.  The two hands on the clock align together, triggering 12 chimes and launching a day unlike any other day of the year.  Past resolutions are reflected upon and new self-promises are made by many of all races, locales, income levels and religions. Some take it seriously enough, that to hold themselves accountable and stay on track, will write lists, draw charts, build picture boards and post reminders.  Others will make an attempt but soon “fall off the wagon” per se and give up until next year. The remaining will not even make an effort. They continue to live their lives like the days before.

The top and most commonly reported resolutions are: losing weight and establishing a healthier lifestyle; reforming bad habits; increasing wealth and becoming debt free; making a career change; and getting a better education.  Surely attainable resolutions by anyone who is serious and determined.  Lives may feel better for a little while.  But will they exhilarate their soul?  

How many have made a resolution to become deeper in spirituality? Or promising to find a way to help others instead of solely helping themselves?  How about pledging to pay something forward, even in small amounts, throughout the day, every day and all year long?  Any one of these three resolutions is not so difficult to do or even keep.  Everyone has the ability to do so, even without putting much effort into it. It can be started anytime, not just on the first day of the New Year.   Think about it.  By doing all or one, you’ll get the same results and possibly more as if you achieved any of the aforesaid common resolutions.

I, myself, have many times been in the group of falling off and not keeping any of my prior New Year’s resolutions.  But as I am getting older, my desire for deeper spirituality is getting stronger. I have decided that my New Year’s resolution for 2013 is to work harder at paying It forward.  It being defined in way of words, tasks, material or money.  Whatever I can do to enrich the next person and exhilarate both theirs and my soul.

How about you? Have you made a New Year’s resolution?  We want to hear it.