Resolution Time
The New Year always brings a renewed sense of commitment, of
plans, goals and changes. As I ran on
the beautiful – albeit frigid - New Year’s morning, I was reminded again of
this very important ritual we all seem to do.
During my runs, I always note the oddball things I see along
the road. The one that gets me thinking is
the random shoe. How is it that there
can be just ONE shoe on the road? Are
there that many people that don’t notice one barefoot? Or do we have a huge majority of one-footed
people out there? How does this one shoe
lay forgotten on the roadside?
But this New Year’s Day run, I couldn’t help but notice all
the half-full cigarette packs. Seven, to
be exact. I know cigarettes are wicked
expensive now, so throwing that pack carelessly – or carefully – on the side of
the road does not happen by chance.
I also know that anxiety-filled last puff at midnight – hoping against hope the addiction
fades as the sun rises. It’s hard,
really hard. We tell ourselves, this is
it. No more. Cold turkey.
And then we puff one more time.
Most resolutions are hard.
They are born from the idea that we will better ourselves, lose that
weight, gain that promotion, heal our bodies, be a better person, friend, or
employee.
Yet, rather than coming from a place of hope, these
resolutions often grow in a place of frustration or desperation. We say to ourselves: This is my last attempt, and with this new
year ringing in, I will be all I am supposed to be. I will quit these cigarettes, lose the junk
food, calm the anger, be kinder, more patient, find a purpose……..
Then the sun rises and we are still there.
As I ran by those 7 packs (a new record of packs found on
the side of the road for me), I silently prayed for their former owners. I prayed for their resolve to continue as the
year moves along, for the addiction to fade, for their spirits to grow.
Adding on is always easier.
Really think about it: I will add
some exercise to my day, I will add some vegetables to my meals, I will add
some kind words into my vocabulary.
It’s when we have to leave part of us abandoned on the
sidewalk – and not look back - that the real work begins.
Hope your New Year is everything you resolved it would be.
And if you are reading this and one of the people who
abandoned their cigarettes, you can do it. Even if you stumble, remember every
day can be the start of a new year.
I encourage you to pick up a copy of my book, 7
Days to a New You, which is currently out on Amazon. Let this guide you through not only a food
cleanse, but an emotional renewal. The
new year is a great time for cleanses and I hope you pick up a copy today!
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