Shaking Off The Dust
As we wrap up the first month in 2012, one common theme I am hearing is the deterioration of our New Year resolutions. For whatever reason, we’ve just gotten off the path we set before we brought in 2012.
Don’t worry, because you don’t need it to be a new year to set goals for yourself. Set realistic goals. Start small, stick to the course, and them grow them. Let one goal transform and develop into others. If you want to eat better, start one thing at a time. We can’t go from a diet of cookies, Pringles, and coke to salads and water overnight. Set a goal to replace things overtime and wean yourself away from whatever is bad. Same thing for removing bad habits; take it a day at a time, wean yourself down first and decrease your dependency on things that are bad for you. Looking to lose weight? Start with a pound or so a week. As your energy begins to increase from the weight loss, up the ante to a pound and a half a week. See what I mean?
One small goal I’d like to set for you is that you develop a monthly word of encouragement/ optimism for yourself. As you move into February, use the word “wonderful”.
<<< Wonderful >>>
Let my month be wonderful – therefore I’ll need to make everyday of the month wonderful. Not only that, I’m going to make the month wonderful for those around me. I will operate in a way so that not only is February wonderful, so is the rest of 2012. My walk, my talk; I will be wonderful.
I put that paragraph in italics because I want you to use that paragraph when developing your word of the month from March 2012 on. It should fit into that paragraph in place of wonderful (it can also be a phrase in some cases). For example let’s replace wonderful with positive.
Let my month be positive – therefore I’ll need to make everyday of the month positive. Not only that, I’m going to make the month positive for those around me. I will operate in a way so that not only is February positive, so is the rest of 2012. My walk, my talk; I will be positive.
If you want to replace that word with things that are negative, that’s fine too, but you better read the paragraph aloud to you with that negative adjective and know that’s the image you are portraying. For example -
Let my month be trifling – therefore I’ll need to make everyday of the month trifling. Not only that, I’m going to make the month trifling for those around me. I will operate in a way so that not only is February trifling, so is the rest of 2012. My walk, my talk; I will be trifling.
Get my drift?
As this blog is so titled – a lot of the times we don’t really need that new year’s resolution, we just need to shake off the dust and revive ourselves. Looking at myself, I know that one of my bad habits is trying to compare myself to how I was in days long past, for good or for bad. Unfortunately, the past is just that, the past. What we can tend to overlook in yearning for things to be like they were in the “good ole’ days” is the problems that came along with them; we just don’t happen to recall them.
There is nothing wrong with recapturing your glory, but aim to recapture it in the present year and not mirroring days long gone (or projecting into the future). If it’s a different time, then you are (at least should be) a different person. The circumstances could have been vastly different; your environment could have been vastly different. If you feel like you’ve gotten dusty, then try self-revitalization activities. Chat it up with friends (new and old, reestablish friendships), try new hobbies (volunteering, intramural sports, habitat for humanity, etc.), make sure you are appreciative (of your life, your surroundings, of what you do have, your friends, your family, etc), or dedicating yourself (to a cause, to a project, to your work – just don’t overdo it and strain yourself). Don’t center your focus on just your physical; being consumed with that can detract from what really may need fixed – your mental, your spirit, your intellect, etc.
We all will have eras in life that we get stagnant and start to collect dust. The best advice I can give you is to put yourself back into action and move. Move your feet, move your mind, move yourself into a new environment, and most importantly don’t cower from change or the rain in life – they both are excellent removers of dust and rust.
Until the next time –
J. Junior II
January 23rd, 2012
January 23rd, 2012
