Tea Talk and Tea Leaves: New Years Resolutions: 2013

New Years Resolutions

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The Year of Joy
2013

About New Year’s Resolutions: It was pointed out to me today that we often make resolutions which are based on some final destination, some abstract final moment which will bring great happiness and self-fulfillment upon its 'eventual' arrival. There is nothing wrong with having a goal except that too often there is focus on the final destination with its promised glory, rather than the enjoyment of the journey there. No one gets rich, gets slim, or becomes happy by doing these things in one big rush or by saying it and hoping it will somehow happen. These goals come to life through the daily rituals we dedicate towards attaining such goals. Each day is a brick which is placed and built up to be the foundation of our own personal temples, which we continue to build, renovate, and remodel throughout our lives. With each brick the structure becomes more complete, more solid, more tangible, and more credible. So, when I make my New Year’s resolutions this year I will remember that life does not happen a year from now, or a month from now, or a week from now, its starts with this moment. It starts today.

Because in a way, each 24 hour period is a sort of mini life. We must, as it was said by Dale Carnegie, live in day tight compartments; each day contains all the cycles occurring in the span of a life time. Long term goals are truly daily affairs, so the true test of whether something is worth attaining is knowing ‘is this something I enjoy working towards’, ‘can I do this every day?’ Self improvement is a daily endeavour, not something which you will magically exhibit in a moment of complete chaos and fear. It must be practiced. So, in truth, health, wealth, and self improvements are not goals, they are daily choices we make because we love ourselves and those around us.

Now, this may seem selfish (to focus on oneself) but it is quite the opposite. Selfish is the new selflessness, for when one learns the art of taking care of themselves, they remove that burden off the shoulders of those around them. This in turn gives others the freedom and example to do the same for themselves and creates extra time and energy they can use to fulfill their own goals and dreams.

So, in this new year of 2013 (the number 13 in numerology means the ‘manifestation of joy’ btw) I will make plans that I know will benefit me and add to the joy in my life, not the stress. This means I want to be my authentic self and not hide behind the mask that society or anyone else tells me I should wear. I will be healthy because it feels good and it tastes good, not because my body is not beautiful enough or because, like most others, I condemn myself to feel guilty because my butt and thighs don’t fit into a sample size. I will work hard at completing school because learning is the essence of life. Life is a school in itself, always providing us with lessons and teaching us new skills for survival and to discover our true joy in the time we are here. I will become wealthy because I have respect and love for my future self who will know how to spend the money more wisely than I would now. I will take every moment and see its light, its blessing, and what it can offer me and then I will take what I have learned and offer it to the world.

May you discover your true joy, this year of 2013, and may you live it everyday

Here I leave you with some photos of the beauty
and the fun involved with the arrival of a new year.
All of the images on this page were found
at a wonderful blog called http://weheartit.com/