HAPPY NEW YEAR!
It’s goodbye to 2021 and hello to 2022. As we look back over the last 12 months, we can point out the good and the not-so-good.
But now that 2021 has been neatly placed in the annals of time let’s not dwell on what was, but instead, look to what is in front of us—a new year pregnant with promise!
Part of that promise is to think about how we will move through this gift of opportunity to fulfill some of the resolutions we make this time of year.
Speaking of resolutions, did you ever wonder where this tradition comes from?
Well, as far back as 4,000 years ago, the construct was ushered in by the Babylonians with an 11-day festival. The difference was that they chose March as their time to ring in the new year.
But the Egyptians celebrated this event during the annual flood of the Nile River. And by 46 B.C., Julius Caesar decided to move it to January 1st.
Finally, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII standardized the January 1st date with the Gregorian calendar—the construct we still employ today.
So, in the tradition of the Babylonians who made promises to the gods, New Year’s Day means making resolutions.
Here is some food for thought to support your thinking when you begin to ponder over the changes you’d like to consider for our brand new year.
- Above all else, make your resolutions realistic. If you don’t think it is achievable, then either break it up into workable parts or eliminate it.
- Always have a plan for whatever you do. But here’s a page from my book. I never work with any plan unless I also have a Plan B and sometimes a Plan C just in case Plan A doesn’t work. It will save time, undue stress, and frustration.
- Whatever your resolutions, keep in mind what the experts say, and that is, “it takes about 21 days for a new activity to become a habit and six months for it to become part of your personality.” So don’t be defeated. If it doesn’t work the first time, keep at it until you find your niche. Excerpted from The MindBody FX Lifestyle: Mastering The Mind-Body Connection For Permanent Weight Loss by Melonie Dodaro
- Don’t fret should you find yourself waning. Just pick up the pieces and start all over again. There is nothing wrong with a do-over. Only next time, put a different spin on how you do it. If it didn’t work the first time, you don’t necessarily want to do it the same way the next time. Remember, the definition of insanity is to keep doing something repeatedly, the same way, but expecting a different result.
- Finally, set some small attainable goals that you’ve been tinkering with. These can give you a boost of encouragement while you are working on the more difficult ones.
Resolutions aren’t the only commitments the New Year is about. It is also about food and not just any food.
For instance, in the African American tradition, especially in the South, one tradition I experienced every year as a child was the first meal of the new year. It had to consist of black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread. While other dishes were added, these three were part of the tradition. The meaning behind them—luck and money!
Happy new year! We look forward to having you continue with us on our journey of exciting and new episodes of Flying on Broken Wings: Thursday Sidebar with Dr. Phyl.
Until then, keep flying on your own wings.