Life Improvement Opportunities

Ah, the start of a new year and the opportunity for a fresh beginning and New Year resolutions that might last until the end of January. Why do so many of us think that we need to wait until the start of a new year to make changes?

I was one of those that made resolutions to celebrate the start of a new year. You notice that I said "was" because I don’t make resolutions any more. Or at least not the kind that might come to mind — such as losing weight or exercising more.

I haven’t been able to go to the YMCA for awhile because of a knee problem, and I won’t be there for a few more days. But I can guarantee you that it is packed right now with people that made New Year resolutions to lose weight and exercise more. And I can also guarantee you that come February, the machines will be more readily accessible to those that go to the Y throughout the year and not just after indulging a little too much over the holidays.

Don’t get me wrong — we should all strive for things that will better us. But we shouldn’t wait for an artificial date on the calendar to make changes in our lives. As the old saying goes, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.”

Since this is the first of the year, let’s look at some things that all of us can do to make our lives and our world a little better. I’m not going to call these resolutions because I just said that I don’t do resolutions. So let’s call them life improvement opportunities.

Why don’t we strive to stop jumping to conclusions? I’m bad at this. I think I know what I know until I get more information and then realize that I wasn’t as right as I thought I was. This can be with politics, people or life in general.

Why don’t we try to understand more where people are coming from and try to put ourselves in their place? I can’t understand the dynamics of people who live in large metropolitan areas, and they can’t really understand what it’s like to live in rural America. But we can try to get a better understanding before we make value judgments. I was watching the Georgia football game the other day, and one of the Georgia players was from Brooklyn. Talk about an adjustment — New York City to Athens.

Why don’t we discuss politics without bringing in personalities? Meaningful political discourse has been replaced with hyperbolic vitriol, and common sense and facts seem to be nowhere to be found. Instead we now have “feel good” populism. And passions rule the political spectrum.

Why don’t we rely more on our neighbors and less on Uncle Sam to take care of our problems. Yes there is a place for the government to help us, but maybe we shouldn’t look first to Washington to solve all of our woes but rather as the last resort.

Why can’t we be tolerant of all voices and not just those that agree with us? That little thing called the First Amendment is first for a reason, but somewhere along the way freedom of speech has been relegated to a lower rung in this country. I’m tired of hearing people being called intolerant because they are courageous enough to speak out against what they think is wrong.

And while we are talking about speaking out, this year resolve (oops, seize the opportunity) to do just that — speak out. The vocal minority has been screaming their views while the silent majority has acquiesced for far too long. Just because someone is loud doesn’t mean they are right, and we need all voices heard — not just the loud ones.

Starting right now (and not just because it is the first of the year), truly examine what you believe. Not what other people tell you that you should believe, but what you call your core principles. And don’t let passions or the media convince you that what you may believe is wrong because it goes against what they believe.

Everyone should have a moral compass. I don’t know how I could go through this life without my God. I don’t apologize for my faith because I know I am flawed and often weak and I need God and the prayers of others to face the things I face in life. And, along the way, let’s acknowledge that we have very little control in our lives and that God has ultimate control.

So don’t make a bunch of resolutions that you can’t or won’t keep. Instead, identify life improvement opportunities that can impact your life each and every day of your life.