One month down in 2016. That’s crazy. How’s your New Year’s Resolutions? Going strong?
I love the first months of the year. So full of promise. Possibilities. Fresh starts. Like everything, ANYTHING, can happen. I guess that’s why most people have made it a habit to create a new set of goals and resolutions for every new year. A list of things one wants to do, change, get rid of, and habits one wants to form. We’re curious—what are your for 2016?
Read one book a week. Go to the gym regularly. Travel more. Save more. Volunteer for a cause. Eat healthier. These are some of the common few. I’m sure you’ve seen one or two of these announced on your Facebook news feed, perhaps some even meticulously drawn in calligraphy, which was something they learned in 2015. Here’s the thing, though. A resolution to eat healthy is great, but what good is stuffing oneself with everything organic if what comes out of the mouth are but rotten gossip and hate?
I haven’t given up on mankind. And I hope you haven’t, too. Goodness is there, somewhere beneath the fight for survival and belonging which I think is the only root of why people are pushed to do bad things at all. But, hey, perhaps 2016 is the year we can turn it all around. Here below are (what I believe are) the only 5 goals people should be working on this 2016 to change the world overnight:
5. To be less judgmental (or not at all)
Practice open mindedness. Everyone is fighting a good fight, at least in the best and only way they know how. Even the seemingly bad people. Try to look at life from their perspective (even though that’s not always easy), and perhaps you’ll understand them more for their actions. Wrong is wrong, difficult is difficult, but perhaps through empathy we can all be a little more gentler and understanding towards each other’s differences.
4. Choose gratefulness everyday
It’s so easy to fall into negativity especially when things aren’t exactly going smooth. We’re all just human, after all. But as humans, it is also one of our greatest privileges getting to choose. So choose gratefulness. In the face of a bad day, look at the bright side and be thankful for that, instead. There is always a bright side. Always. Watch how your life significantly changes after deciding to see the good in everything. Be constantly thankful. For the good days, AND the bad days that make you all the more thankful the good days.
3. Be forgiving
Grudges are so 2015, you all. It is. For all you know, what that someone did to you could be killing them more than it is killing you. We are all just fighting a hard battle. Life ain’t easy. For anyone. Besides, more often than not, when someone does something that’s quite unforgiveable, it’s not to hurt you but for to make themselves hurt less. Hurt people hurt people, and you just happened to be a pawn in the process. That sucks, but you can be the bigger person and forgive. Don’t carry the burden of grudge. Grudge is a poison that only kills the one who carries it. So let that shit go. What they did, that’s on them. You just stay fab, yo.
2. Always be kind
For kindness, really, is the only golden rule. Kindness speaks no race, no religion, no age, no gender, no status. Just. Be. Kind. It’s really not that hard. Smile more often. Speak more gentler. Hold doors for strangers. Don’t talk back to your parents (even when you’re right!). Don’t speak ill of anything, anyone. Praise people more. Love all animals. Fight for mother earth. The bottomline: SPREAD ONLY GOOD VIBES.
1. Love more
Call me an eternal optimist, but I belong to that small population of people in the whole world who believe that love is the most powerful thing in the world. Not money, not connections, not guns, and most especially not Donald Trump. I believe in turning the other cheek, in loving unconditionally, in forgiving despite the damage done unto you. I believe in, well, love.
This is where all the past 5 of my unconventional resolutions all come together. This is the mother of all resolutions—love.
Start with the little things. Like, every time you feel like saying something negative, take 3 deep breaths and…calm yo’self! Try practicing these for a day, then two days, then a week, then a month, then three months. You’ll be surprised how well simply practicing breathing works. They say it takes 60 days to form a habit. How about you start today?
Do I hear a challenge accepted?
