It’s New Years! That Etch-a-Sketch time of the year that we get to sit back and start the year all over again. I always think of the movie, Groundhog Day, right about now. Phil, the weatherman, relives the same day in the movie until he gets it right. For the rest of us, we don’t have those magic movie moments. We, instead, get inspired (or pressured?) to start off brand new… again.
Diet and exercise are always at the top of everyone’s list when it comes to New Year Resolutions. I always tell my patients that I hate to squash their dreams but that it’s my job to help them set realistic goals. Setting unrealistic ones often sets people up for failure. Just words of wisdom that have come along in my many years of practice. Look for manageable goals and take your time achieving them.
In today’s age of 24/7 news and streams of social media, it’s impossible not to get flooded by a deluge of ads for weight loss gimmicks. I was thumbing through a novelty table-top book the other day and chuckled when I came across this page: “I keep trying to lose weight but it keeps finding me.” It’s true. NY resolutions come on like a steam train in January and then peter out in a month when the results are not as apparent (or quick!) as we want them to be. Here’s a good resolution to adopt: “Be patient.”
Most resolutions are about self-improvement, which translates to an underlying component of dissatisfaction with oneself. That way of thinking that there’s “something wrong with me” really bothers me because it adds a negative layer to life. I’m a glass half full kind of person. That might stem from my Aquarian sign. Typically, “we” are independent, creative thinkers, and have an ethereal spirit that doesn’t waiver to the conventional. So, I don’t like getting dragged down by too much undue pressure; especially the kind that happens with the turn of a calendar page!
Anyone who reads my blogs knows how much I love those positive affirmations on decorative boxes; the ones etched with inspirational words and phrases.
I just saw this one the other day: “CINDERELLA: proof that a new pair of shoes can change your life!” Maybe we are doing it all wrong and it’s as simple as buying a new pair of shoes??
Happy New Year- Wishing you all good health in 2019!
Sophie