And when one of my step-daughters
didn't do the dishes again, I can choose to try to live up to the
promise of this morning and be patient with her rather than
impatient and harsh.
When all is said and done, the promises
of the morning or the New Year mean nothing--all that truly matters
is the way we act in a given moment, whether we're living up to that
promise or breaking it. Even a weekly resolution is easier to live
up to than a yearly one. Making resolutions on a Sunday
afternoon at least gives us a regular opportunity to reflect on last
week's promises, as opposed to trying to reflect on a whole year of
action and inaction. If I promise on Sunday that I'll be more
encouraging to others, then next Sunday I can think about how I
acted that week and figure out if I kept the promise or not. Of
course, there are some wonderful resolutions that can be made on New
Year's Day--those resolutions that require a long process are
especially apt. Do you want to lose that extra ten or twenty
pounds this year? Then make the resolution. But what you
eat and how often you exercise are easier to keep track of on a
weekly or daily basis, and it's easier to get back on track after a
day or a week of not meeting your promise than it is to reach August
and realize that you've lost only a pound or two, or even gained a
few. "Day by day." "One day at a
time." This is a way of living that wise people have told
us for centuries is essential to our making a fulfilling and happy
life for ourselves. When we make our to-do lists to help to
keep us on track, we usually stick to the next day or two, and our
planners are full of things to do for the next few weeks. But
our actual actions are what we truly can control and make decisions
about; we have to wait until next month's meeting before we can be
there. Making our promises to ourselves--promises that will
benefit the other people in our lives, too--on a daily or weekly
basis can help us to see the importance and the immediacy behind our
actions and the way we live this life of ours. Make this a truly
fulfilling and happy new year--remind yourself regularly of the
person you wish to be, of the promises to yourself that you wish to
keep, and the way that you're truly acting in relation to the way
that you wish to act. The person who wishes to quit smoking
who keeps ashtrays and packs of cigarettes around the house isn't
acting in a way that will help him or her to quit. Be good to
yourself, and keep these promises that will make you a happier
person; remember that in the end, those people with whom you share
your life will benefit greatly from you becoming a happier person.
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