You say you want a resolution, well, y’know

I have always been a fan of New Year’s Resolutions. I think of it as a way to start fresh and recreate myself. Each year, I hunker down and make my list. It usually includes:

• Meditate
• Exercise
• Clean out/simplify
• Live in the moment
• Relax

This year, it occurred to me that I’ve done well in some areas. Yoga, for example, made my list years ago and it’s now a daily staple. But, for the most part, I still struggle with the others.

Might it be that creating resolutions prevents me from living in the moment? Or that the stress of refining what I hope to accomplish keeps me from relaxing?

When I think about the people I admire most, they don’t seem to worry about reinvention. Frankly, they don’t seem to worry. Maybe that’s the key.

Hug me, won’t you?

 

I once read that 8-10 hugs per day increases your health, emotional state, and general well being. I grew up in a household where we always kissed and hugged upon arrival and departure. It was normal to me and now, of course, I’ve passed it on to my boys. When I see homeless people on the side of the road, I wonder, “Do they have someone to hug?” 

I think the reason hugs are so restorative is that they connect you with another soul, if only for a few seconds. It’s like, for once, all the ego, judgement and differences disappear and we’re just two people sharing a moment in time.

Imagine what a different world this would be if hugs replaced jealousy. If hugs replaced ignorance and fear. Imagine…

“You may say I’m a dreamer but I’m not the only one.

I hope someday you’ll join us and the world will be as one.”

Merry Christmas and lots of hugs to you and yours.