What are Your Resolutions this Year? By Sue McQuinn
W
ow, it’s a new year and time to make a resolution. Resolutions ranked nationally in order of popularity are: losing weight, eating healthier, learning a new skill or hobby, and spending time on our personal wellbeing. In a 2018 National Survey, 44% of people surveyed said they make resolutions. Alyssa Santos, our new Active Aging Program Supervisor, and I polled some of our members about the idea of New Year’s Resolutions. The results were not quite what we expected! Some folks even said they have discontinued making resolutions. Here are some thoughts from our members:
I do not make resolutions. Instead, for me, every day is a chance to be introspective of my life and change and be smarter. ~K. I have a resolution to experience more intimacy this year. ~Anon. I used to make resolutions, but not anymore. It was always the same issues year after year and then failure. Instead, I have an affirmation to accept myself the way I am. For 13 years, I have believed in daily prayer and meditation. ~A.
I don’t make resolutions. I feel resolutions are temporary. I have goals I work on all year, never giving up until I achieve them. I am continually planning new goals. ~E.
I used to make resolutions, but it was always to lose weight. The unfortunate part was I could never keep them because, if I see food I eat it! ~J.
I have made resolutions in the past, when I was young and stupid and thought they would work. Now I have resolutions to finish projects, not lose my temper and learn Italian. I have fulfilled one of these. ~D. “Yes, but I can’t tell you about them!” ~Anon. (said with a smile) My family is very close and it is easy to get caught up in their situations. I am making a resolution to do more for myself. ~Anon. What’s the point, it’s all metaphysical! ~Anon. The only resolution I made is over eighty years ago, I resolved to have a warm bottle every day. PS: My mother was pregnant with me when she crossed the Golden Gate Bridge on the second day it was open. ~Anon.
I made a resolution when I was 10 years old. I wanted to live long enough to see the year 2020. Why 2020? The year struck me as significant because I am a twin and 20/20 vision. ~F. I am always aware of my resolutions and make them every year. They are always fresh, new and health related. I keep my resolutions because I am objectivedriven. ~Anon. Another tradition some people observe on New Year’s Eve is the Burning Bowl Ceremony. This is a ritual to release old resentments by writing them down on a piece of paper and burning the paper, so you can enter the New Year with a fresh perspective and a desire to start anew. One member was putting her marriage behind her and decided to hold her own Burning Bowl ceremony in a restaurant in San Francisco. She rolled up the paper and it didn’t burn, but was instead buried in the wax of the candle. It took one month to burn the piece of paper, she said with a laugh. Have a safe and happy 2019!
JA N UA RY 2 019 WH IS TLES TO P E XPRESS
I don’t want to grow; my resolution is to work on not shrinking. ~J.
I do make resolutions, but not on New Year’s Eve. I make resolutions on my birthday, as it is a time of reflection for me. I base my resolutions and changes on my life and what I need to work on. ~A.
I don’t make resolutions, because at my age, 95, the doctor says I can do whatever I want. ~A.
I do make resolutions, but not every year. I believe it is important to always try to be a better person. ~D.
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