As 2016 ends and 2017 begins, people around the world are creating lists of resolutions for the new year. While people will swear that this is the year they're gonna start their diet and really stick to it or they're going to lose 10 pounds or quit smoking or find their soulmate or all sorts of things, most people are going to end up quitting their resolutions by February. So here a few things that I'm putting on my New Year's Resolutions list that I really am going to do, and I think you should too.
1. Be kinder.
"Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough." - Franklin D. Roosevelt
"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." - Mark Twain
The world appears to be a mean place. Political turmoil, civil wars, religious intolerance, racism, sexism- all of these things we see as a constant reality, and it changes how we act. In 2017, major changes will be happening around the world. The upcoming Trump presidency is a cause of fear for millions of people. This article is not an attack on Trump supporters; it is just a fact that many people are scared and concerned for themselves and their wellbeing based on Trump's proposed policies. On behalf of these people, and all the people who are fighting unknown battles and fears in their lives, be kinder. Think before you speak, because you never know what other people are going through. The world appears differently to everyone, but kindness is universal. In 2017, let's be kinder to each other.
2. Be kinder to yourself.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” - Buddha
I'm not perfect. I've spent years trying to be "perfect," and I've finally realized that that will never happen. In 2017, I will be okay with that. I'm learning to accept myself as I am and how to shape myself into the person I want to become. I'm also learning to give myself time. Change doesn't happen overnight, and 2016 was filled with numerous obstacles and setbacks. I need to be kinder to myself, to understand that not everything can happen the way you plan it to, and that sometimes the unplanned courses of life are better for you than you could have imagined. In 2017, I'm going to be kinder to myself. I'm going to forgive myself more, cut myself some slack. 2016 wasn't my best year, but, in 2017, I'm going to let that go and let myself grow and live without restraints.
3. Be stronger, but also gentler.
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” - Iain Thomas
Let's be honest: 2016 was a pretty awful year. Worldwide, nationally, and, at least for me, individually. Let's grow from the last year; let's become stronger. We survived an awful year, and we're better from it. Let's take the lessons we've learned, the things we've failed and succeeded at, and grow from it. Let's look at the world around us and see what we can do to help. Strength is not force; strength can be a gentle, helping hand. In 2017, let's not forget about those around us who need our strength as much as we ourselves do. Let's look out for those hurting, those in pain and in fear, and guide them through the next year. Let's be strong, but not coarse. Loving strength does more than harshness does. If we want 2017 to be different than 2016, we have to help work to make it that way..
Here's to a stronger and kinder 2017.
