HAPPY New Year
08 Dec '13 12:02This was in my Sunday newspaper. Just thought I'd share.
Enough already with the guilt-ridden, I'm-so-fat, I'm-so-lazy, I-must-fix-my-life New Year's Resolutions. We're over it. They don't help. Get a grip! There's nothing wrong with you. You're fine. Sure, pick a goal. Do it. You're capable. But no more beating yourself up. The phrase is not 'Have a Guilty New Year'. Take a breath. See the good in yourself. If you must make a resolution, start with one of those you'll find on Page 2. Because the biggest word in 'Happy New Year' should be... HAPPY.
Page 2
Leave your change in the vending machine for the next person to find. / Send a handwritten letter to a child. With a stamp. Write his or her name on the envelope. He or she should know the thrill. / Kiss someone as if you mean it. / Get 10 things out of your closet that make you feel bad. Give them to Goodwill. / Frame a piece of art. / Adopt a dog or cat from a rescue organization. / Go 24 hours without the internet. / Throw out the old ketchup packets in your desk drawer. / Find a new recipe. No, a new one. / When a friend or co-worker loses a loved one, mark it on the calendar. Ask how he or she is doing in six months. / See a late movie. / Wear your seat belt, and make others do it, too. / Do one thing you keep putting off. / Laugh out loud in real life. / Download music in another language. / Take your child out of school one day and go play. / Get to know the benefit of the doubt. / Leave a wildly inappropriate tip. / Take a leap of faith. / Change the radio station. / Stop feeling guilty unless you really are. / Get a physical. / Buy something in a new color. / Eat somewhere across town. / Notice someone. / Come up with a new, satisfying cuss word. / Sign your organ-donation card. / Write a manifesto. / Watch an old movie. / Pay anonymously for the person behind you in the drive-through lane at the coffee shop. / Buy flowers for no reason. / Eat on the patio in January. Call a friend in the Northeast as you do. / Find an old friend. / Pick up a rock that catches your eye. Carry it around in your pocket. / Make a CD or playlist of the music you loved in high school. Play it to distraction. / Spend one day by yourself. / Deal with your photos. (You know you want to.) / Make an appointment with yourself at 3 each day to walk around the block. Yes, while you're at work. / Get a library card. Use it. / Dissect the junk drawer. / Who was your teenage pop crush? Find a photo and print it. / Put the Christmas lights away right. / Pick one thing you don't understand and learn about it. / Stop texting while driving. / Buy new music. And not just the top-selling hit on iTunes. / Pick one negative thing your brain tells you and set it straight. / Talk to the person in the corner. / Stop for a doughnut. Just one. / Put folded-up dollar bills in a spot in your car so you can easily give one to someone on the corner. / Learn the art of deep breathing. / Watch cartoons on Saturday morning. / Stop using made-up words. / Take old towels to a vet or pet shelter. / Write a fan letter. / Vow to stop dressing up your pets. / Register to vote. / Actually vote. / Make a list of your 10 favorite books and re-read them. / Pay attention to a child who isn't yours. / Vow to look at the cellphone bill and figure out why it costs that much. / Walk up one flight of stairs a day. When you can do that, make it two. / Mute the commercials. / Ask doctors hard questions. They work for you. / Deal with what holds you back. / Buy a turntable at a garage sale and play your vinyl records. / Smile at someone cute in a car. / Are you a birthday slacker? Vow not to miss one all year. / Put an old leash in your car in case you see a lost dog. / If you never apologize, learn to do it well. If you apologize too often, learn to stop. / Buy ribbon. / Put a plant on your desk. Something else should be alive in your cubicle. / If you're in a rut, get out. / Send a thank-you note to a teacher who made a difference in your life. / Take a different way to work. / Remember that dream? Take a baby step. Just one. / Write a love letter. / And okay, sure: eat well, exercise more, quit smoking. (No lecture, we just like having you around.)
With kudos to Diane Porter, Arizona Living editor, The Arizona Republic
Enough already with the guilt-ridden, I'm-so-fat, I'm-so-lazy, I-must-fix-my-life New Year's Resolutions. We're over it. They don't help. Get a grip! There's nothing wrong with you. You're fine. Sure, pick a goal. Do it. You're capable. But no more beating yourself up. The phrase is not 'Have a Guilty New Year'. Take a breath. See the good in yourself. If you must make a resolution, start with one of those you'll find on Page 2. Because the biggest word in 'Happy New Year' should be... HAPPY.
Page 2
Leave your change in the vending machine for the next person to find. / Send a handwritten letter to a child. With a stamp. Write his or her name on the envelope. He or she should know the thrill. / Kiss someone as if you mean it. / Get 10 things out of your closet that make you feel bad. Give them to Goodwill. / Frame a piece of art. / Adopt a dog or cat from a rescue organization. / Go 24 hours without the internet. / Throw out the old ketchup packets in your desk drawer. / Find a new recipe. No, a new one. / When a friend or co-worker loses a loved one, mark it on the calendar. Ask how he or she is doing in six months. / See a late movie. / Wear your seat belt, and make others do it, too. / Do one thing you keep putting off. / Laugh out loud in real life. / Download music in another language. / Take your child out of school one day and go play. / Get to know the benefit of the doubt. / Leave a wildly inappropriate tip. / Take a leap of faith. / Change the radio station. / Stop feeling guilty unless you really are. / Get a physical. / Buy something in a new color. / Eat somewhere across town. / Notice someone. / Come up with a new, satisfying cuss word. / Sign your organ-donation card. / Write a manifesto. / Watch an old movie. / Pay anonymously for the person behind you in the drive-through lane at the coffee shop. / Buy flowers for no reason. / Eat on the patio in January. Call a friend in the Northeast as you do. / Find an old friend. / Pick up a rock that catches your eye. Carry it around in your pocket. / Make a CD or playlist of the music you loved in high school. Play it to distraction. / Spend one day by yourself. / Deal with your photos. (You know you want to.) / Make an appointment with yourself at 3 each day to walk around the block. Yes, while you're at work. / Get a library card. Use it. / Dissect the junk drawer. / Who was your teenage pop crush? Find a photo and print it. / Put the Christmas lights away right. / Pick one thing you don't understand and learn about it. / Stop texting while driving. / Buy new music. And not just the top-selling hit on iTunes. / Pick one negative thing your brain tells you and set it straight. / Talk to the person in the corner. / Stop for a doughnut. Just one. / Put folded-up dollar bills in a spot in your car so you can easily give one to someone on the corner. / Learn the art of deep breathing. / Watch cartoons on Saturday morning. / Stop using made-up words. / Take old towels to a vet or pet shelter. / Write a fan letter. / Vow to stop dressing up your pets. / Register to vote. / Actually vote. / Make a list of your 10 favorite books and re-read them. / Pay attention to a child who isn't yours. / Vow to look at the cellphone bill and figure out why it costs that much. / Walk up one flight of stairs a day. When you can do that, make it two. / Mute the commercials. / Ask doctors hard questions. They work for you. / Deal with what holds you back. / Buy a turntable at a garage sale and play your vinyl records. / Smile at someone cute in a car. / Are you a birthday slacker? Vow not to miss one all year. / Put an old leash in your car in case you see a lost dog. / If you never apologize, learn to do it well. If you apologize too often, learn to stop. / Buy ribbon. / Put a plant on your desk. Something else should be alive in your cubicle. / If you're in a rut, get out. / Send a thank-you note to a teacher who made a difference in your life. / Take a different way to work. / Remember that dream? Take a baby step. Just one. / Write a love letter. / And okay, sure: eat well, exercise more, quit smoking. (No lecture, we just like having you around.)
With kudos to Diane Porter, Arizona Living editor, The Arizona Republic
