Resolutions

Each year for maybe the past 4 years I've come up with or perhaps have been inspired by the Big Guy with a phrase for our family. A word or other short inspiration that during the course of the coming year, it seems that we need to focus on.

Generally speaking these have never turned out to be what I expect but have always "come true" if you will. For this year I think our phrase will be "coming up to breathe". Yes I realize there is a song by that title. Too bad. It's a good phrase and very much describes what I think this year needs to be about for our family.

Here's part of a verse ...

I'm coming up to breathe
Oh, I'm coming up to breathe
I've held my breath for all my life
But I am breaking free tonight
And I'm coming up to breathe

I think this sums it all up very nicely.

My resolutions:
For a very long time I've been resting on my laurels, virtually coasting through life. This year I've determined to "try" more at everything. To pay better attention to my work, my marriage, my friendships. This isn't to run myself ragged but rather to pay focused attention to my surroundings. To be involved. To "wake up" more if you will. See my post on intellectual inhibitions for more answers on what this means to me.

I will worry less about what others think about me, the things I've said, and whether my life or anything else about me "measures up" to some phantom standard.

Like most of the rest of America I intend to lose some excess baggage. However, I intend to do this through small, honest changes that I can live with and not set myself up to fail by measuring myself to a false standard. (See last resolution.)

I will write and create more.

There are several medium to large projects around the house that need my attention. This year they will get done and this will help put my soul a bit more at ease.

I will work to be satisified with not just my current level of "stuff" but with less. Eliminating clutter is a big goal of mine and paring my life down to what I can honestly maintain will be key. This includes pretty much everything from top to bottom in my life and not just physical clutter.

I will be more assertive with everybody and not be hestitant to say what I feel or believe is right. I'm sure I'll do this wrong at times but I'm kinda tired of always thinking that what I feel doesn't matter to anyone else at all. This will be especially important at work.

I will make less emotional decisions/have less emotional conversations than I have in the past. Although I'm a logical kind of guy, I do get carried away sometimes with emotion; I guess I inherited that from momma somehow. But this is a good year to stop that and quit embarrassing myself all the time, tis just no fun believe me, lol

In my writing and speaking I'm going to make a concerted effort to say more but with less words.

I will listen more to advice from friends and family. And that includes concerning these resolutions. If there is something here you don't want to see change in me, tell me so, let's talk about it.