The best resolution for 2016
By Bill Fox/Columnist
Statistics reveal that about half of us will make resolutions for 2016, but only about eight per cent keep them throughout the year, and only 60 per cent are still kept past the first month. Last year, the top five resolutions were losing weight, getting organized, spending less/saving more, enjoying life to the fullest and staying fit and healthy. Any of these sound familiar? But here is a resolution that encompasses all those and more: love yourself!
Who is more important to love than you? (hint: nobody). You’re the only person that has experienced all of life’s ups and downs with you. You’re the only person who sees what you see, and gets to experience what you experience in this life. We may have so many years of education, yet nobody ever taught us how to love ourselves.
In my 40 years of teaching, I saw so many young people needed a course on self-esteem. When you see outlandish piercings or tattoos or crazy fashion…including the youngsters with pants falling down almost to their knees, it tells me they are reaching out for something and need to love themselves more. As I have mentioned before, I believe I never taught a bad student, only students who acted out badly. Why is that? Mostly, they needed to draw attention to themselves because they lacked it at home!
Even many people with health and lifestyle challenges only have goals and priorities for others (helping the church, the kids, parents, etc). You have to love yourself first so that you’re at your best for those you care about.
And many people have perpetual relationship challenges, because if you don’t love yourself first, it’s hard to believe anyone else truly can. And so they either hide from being in relationships, they sabotage good relationships, or they choose inappropriate people to be in relationships with.
When you truly love yourself, other people want to participate in activities with you. They can’t resist because they get the sense that you are a loving person.
One of my sons is a personal trainer and life coach. He came up with some steps to help us in this regard for 2016 – “Become your own best friend, and inspire others to join you by applying the action steps below:
- Wake up in the morning, look in the mirror into your eyes, and say, “I love you.” Do this for 10 days in a row. If you miss a day, start again at day one.
- Hang out with people who are good for you, lift you up, and keep things positive. After all, they say you become like the five people you spend the most time with. Choose your peers wisely…you become them.
- Make a commitment to eat healthy and exercise as a form of honouring yourself. Decide on the top three steps you can take in this area, and make a plan to follow through on them.
- Think of things you enjoy doing. Explore your curiosities. Make a list, then give yourself permission to have the freedom to have fun. There is no greater purpose than enjoying life. The secret to love is to have fun, and if it’s not fun, it’s not a high form of love.
- Give yourself permission to be authentic about who you are, honest about your feelings and express more:
There will never be another you – you’re the only one, so enjoy being you. That is love.”
I wish you all a healthy and happy 2016. I welcome comments at bdeefox@hotmail.com.