By Brenda Cannon Henley
It’s the time of the year when folks, young and old alike, are thinking of New Year’s resolutions. Some make them. Some choose not to make them. Of those men and women who do make a habit of resolving to do things differently, a good percentage of them fail and do not make it through the first month of the New Year. Their intentions are good, but they simply give up and return to old habits of a lifetime.
While reading some material before starting to write this article, I happened across a funny joke that illustrates the point I am making. A rather grumpy old man was sitting at his kitchen table talking to his kind looking wife. “I want you to know I have made a New Year’s resolution,” he said. “I am not going to tell you what to do as much as I have done in the past. I want you to make your own choices.” The wife did not say anything at all. She simply stared at him and sat quietly not believing her own ears. After a moment or two of silence, the husband reached across the table and pushed a lengthy note in front of her. “Here are your New Year’s resolutions that I have written out for you to make.”
He no more meant what he said he had resolved than anything in this world. He was continuing his old behavior and perhaps, giving her the resolutions he had made in her stead, indicated he was going to be even worse than in the past. One thing is for sure. You cannot make resolutions for someone else. And neither can you keep them for someone else. If you are going to make resolutions with good intentions, you must make them logically and carefully and set goals that you can master.
Here are the Top Ten resolutions adults tend to make at the start of each year:
- Spend more quality time with the family or a specific loved one.
- Exercise more and get into shape. Follow doctor’s orders.
- Lose weight and reach a pre-set goal.
- For tobacco users, give up smoking and stick to it — this time.
- Develop a budget, stick to it, and get out of debt.
- Learn a new skill or take up a new hobby.
- Invest in the community by helping others.
- Get organized. Devise a system that works for you.
- Become more security conscious. (This is a new one from years past)
- Stop the abuse of alcohol and never drink and drive an automobile.
Perhaps something on the current Top Ten will give you an idea to add to your own list or at least get you thinking about what you would like to include. I would add at the top of any list that we should include Bible study, attending worship at the church of your choice, and giving to help other people less fortunate.
I’d like to read your personal list of resolutions if you’d like to share them with me. Those that are especially good might be published in a future edition of this newspaper. Happy New Year to all of our readers and may the New Year of 2014 be a blessed and joyous one.
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at [email protected].
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