Surrounded by family and friends, watching the ball drop in
New York City (from the comforts of my own home) into the New Year has me celebrating
the chance to “start over”. The New Year is notorious for people making
resolutions and the opportunity to start a new page in life, new chances, new
slate.
My classic resolution is to exercise more and eat
healthier. I usually fare well in the first two weeks. I pack a healthy lunch, actually
use my treadmill, and cook a healthy dinner. Soon, life starts to get busy
again, and my healthy habits seem to drop by the wayside.
My two daughters have had better luck with their
resolutions. Both of them quit drinking soft drinks, and have seen great
improvements in their energy and overall health. I must confess that I have never fulfilled a
single resolution to the end. So I ask
myself, “Why do I continue making a resolution year after year knowing I will
most likely fail”?
This brings me to a thought,actually a quote, from one of the movies my girls loved to watch when they were younger. It was A Cinderella Story. A quote central to the plot of the story was “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
Failure is a part of life. What I need to remember – two weeks after I blow my resolution- is to keep swinging- get back on the wagon- start over-try again.
In fact, I think it is important to fail. I absolutely DO NOT enjoy failing, but it makes us into
better people. From the tiny fractures to huge letdowns, failure is one of
life’s greatest teachers. How we respond helps us build character.
We should all remember Michael Jordan didn’t make his high
school basketball team. Walt Disney was told he lacked imagination. Dr. Seuss
was rejected 27 times. Elvis Presley was told he was going nowhere. These
individuals failed many times, but they didn’t let the fear of striking
out keep them from playing the game. We all know these
people eventually becoming successful in their respective careers.
So this year, my resolution will remain the same- eat
healthier, exercise more. I am playing
the game with every hope to succeed because when I fail, and I know I will, I am going to keep swinging.
Happy New Year Everyone!!
