“There is a courtesy of the heart; it is allied to love. From its springs the purest courtesy in the outward behaviour.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
New Year’s Day today and a lazy, restful day full of things one should do that are enjoyable, happy and pleasant, thus being assured that one’s New Year will be likewise. A day of leisure, and fun, music, entertainment, walks, drives, good food and wine, compatible company and all things bright and beautiful.
This is also the day of the New Year’s Resolution, whatever it may be worth! How many people make them and break them even before the first month of the New Year is out… I tend to eschew New Year’s Resolutions as they often reek of selfishness. Instead I remind myself each New Year’s Day, that when I can, I shall try and benefit as many people as possible this coming year. It is a wonderful thing if we can stop every now and then and consider what we can do to make life a little better for our fellow humans on this earth.
It doesn’t take much to help someone out. It needn’t be time-consuming, premeditated, or expensive. It doesn’t take much commitment nor strength of character, it doesn’t require endless devotion, nor savage self-sacrifice. A smile, a kind word, a white lie, or even sometimes just being able to check one’s tongue – to say nothing instead of something harsh or unkind. A helping hand, a donation, some volunteer work, being nice to a stranger is enough every now and then. Checking one’s anger, being considerate, remembering that other people have feelings, personalities, dreams, emotions and desires. Being able to treat other people as we would like to be treated ourselves. Showing common courtesy, respect, nobility of character, being ethical and honest will surely be beneficial to all around us and cause our life to be better too…
How hard it is to do all of these things, and yet if only we all but tried, how better our world be! A resolution for the New Year that is not a hollow congregation of egocentric words is much harder to make, I agree. A personal resolution for the benefit of others may be something quite novel to many people and perhaps because of its novelty worthy of being tried out?
As it is also Song Saturday today, here is an apt song, the classic “People”. Originally sung by Barbra Streisand, here is one of my favourite jazz singers, Nancy Wilson making it her own. It’s from her 1964 album “How Glad am I”
How funny is it that the list should start with "lose weight" then go on to include "quit smoking", "drink less" and "pay off credit cards". That list could cover almost every single resolution-maker in the entire developed world.
ReplyDeleteI don't smoke, but the rest of the list is absolutely true for my own resolutions. You eschew New Year’s Resolutions as they often reek of selfishness. I eschew them because of their uselessness :)
Have a good one in 2011!
No resolutions for me this year. I have decided to just let go and flow. Had I done that last year at this time it would have saved me lots of torn muscles and bruised intentions.
ReplyDeleteBTW anyone with "Drink Less" on their list should probably attend a 12 step meeting. Normal drinkers don't even need to consider that one.
Happy New Year, Nic - we both are wishing both of you the very best 2011, where all that we're hoping for comes true <3 This is a good blog, too - and you're very right - how about resolutions to simply 'be' in the present moment and not be worrying malcontentedly quite so much, after all, ironically exactly as 'resolutions' cause us to do ... you know, 2010 has been even-surprisingly quite good, for me/us ... and here's to 2011 - and to you, too :)
ReplyDelete_^^_
I love this song!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI still make my new years resolution, but its only one - easier to keep to!!!!
resolutions humbug
ReplyDeletenot worth the paper theyre written on