Resolution or Revolution: An Oldie But Goodie

I spent the end of 2016 on a cruise boat relaxing after an unusually tough push to finish 2017’s The Swallow’s Nest.

Before I even stepped on board I promised myself I wouldn’t work, and I stuck to it. Now I’m home with some of my family visiting. So instead of an “original” blog I’m sharing my New Year’s blog from 2009, and let’s face it, I bet you don’t remember it. Right? The good news is that I did and liked it well enough to republish. I hope the start of 2017 has been good for you. Let’s keep that going.

Resolution or Revolution

I’ll confess, I’m not a huge fan of resolutions.  The word itself lacks punch.  “I resolve to. . .” just sounds lame to me, like something I might decide on my way to the kitchen and forget once I’m there.  “I resolve to eat less, eat more vegetables, drink more water, only eat whole grains, stop eating meat, make all my own yogurt/bread/muesli.”  And by the time I’ve finished the resolution, I’m chowing down on leftover brownies and spareribs so they won’t go to waste.  (Wasn’t that last year’s resolution, not wasting food?)  By the next day I’ve forgotten a resolution ever passed through my head.  Safe until 2010.

Ah, but revolutions?  Those begin with earth shaking revelations, crystal clear moments when we know beyond the shadow of any doubt that things can not continue the way they are and change must occur.

I’ve had a few in my own life.  The moment I knew I wanted to marry my husband and share his life.  The moment I realized that children weren’t just an intellectual construct but a bone deep desire I was going to act upon and soon.  The moment I realized that spending hours each day living in my imagination was as close to bliss as I could possibly come for a career.

So far my plans for 2009 fall more into the “resolution” category.  Spend more time with friends and family.  Lose that pesky 10 pounds I really don’t need.  Quilt an hour every day no matter what.  Learn Spanish.  Double the steps I take each day.

Here’s the good part.  If I take all those little resolutions, and pay attention to them, they might turn into a revolution, after all.  I might call this the “Today is the First Day of the Rest of My Life” revolution, when I begin to treat each moment as if it really is a gift, as my holiday blog entry claimed.

So here’s my resolution, or revolution.  Paying more attention to the little things that make my life better, and paying less attention to the stuff that doesn’t matter.

How will I know if this is a resolution or a revolution?  As far as I know there’s only one way.  By how well I stick to it.

Now, how about you?  Are we in this together?  Let me know.  Revolutions are so much more fun in good company.

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