It's been nearly a year since I ranted about my disdain for New Year's resolutions. The general premise is this ...
By January 1st, the average American has declared their grandiose plans for self improvement to anyone who will listen. Yet most will wind up celebrating Martin Luther King's birthday by drowning their feelings of inadequacy and failure in a pint of Cherry Garcia.
Nope, not me. I refuse to fall into that trap again. Do I want to start eating healthier next year? You bet I do. But for some unknown reason, declaring that sentiment as a resolution dooms it to failure. Therefore, I've banished New Year's resolutions from my internal Wikipedia ... and I'm turning inward to find my own, personal "Anti-Resolutions."
Anti-Resolutions are the little things that make life worth living. Take a moment to stop and look around ... there are amazing things happening daily that we don't even notice anymore because everyday life weighs us down.
So enough talk already, right? Here are my 2006 "Anti-Resolutions" ...
In No Particular Order
1. A quiet evening where the phone doesn't ring
2. Laughing
3. The way our home looks when it's decorated for Christmas
4. Those rare cool, rainy mornings when I can sleep in
5. Spending a whole day off work lazing around
6. Catching a brand new episode of Lost or Earl or Office
7. Making homemade pizza with our girls
8. Watching our dog Maggie's nub wiggle when she's happy
9. Tearing open a new roll of ShockTarts
10. Pulling on my favorite comfy grey sweatshirt
11. Picking up a new release from Family Video
12. A Yankee Candle glowing in our living room
13. Curling up in my pajamas with my grandma's quilt
Alrighty then ... those are just a few things that brighten up my world. Sure, there's plenty more ... but that's just a sample. And now it's your turn. Try making your own list ... and, hey, if you can only think of a couple things, that's alright too. I'm not saying it's going to take the weight of the world off anybody's shoulders ... but in a world where the daily news offers little besides pain and panic, taking a look at the bright side of things once in awhile sure can't hurt.
When you look at it
Life's a laugh and death's a joke, it's true
You'll see it's all a show
Keep 'em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you
And ... always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the right side of life
Monty Python - Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
