Sometime in the next few days a good many folks will put together lists of resolutions for the new year. LOOKING BACK, what I’ve proposed is what each of us should do every day, not just at the first of the year.
I’ve never formally jotted down any, but hardly a year goes by that thoughts of what I can do better don’t come to mind — before “Auld Lang Syne” is sung and revelers take opportunity to smooch someone special.
I suspect the No. 1 resolution for most people — being a nation of plenty and with more than our share of those on the heavy side — is to lose weight. That occurs to me often, though not just at the first of the year.
Anytime I’ve put my mind to it — which translates to eating three squares a day and laying off snacks — I’ve been able to lose a few pounds, although the older I get it seems my resolve slips away more quickly than pounds.
If you really want to lose weight — a doable avenue to personally improve your health — there is just one way; no miracle diets or tricks are involved. Just eat food containing fewer calories each day than what you expend through exercise, either in going about as you always do or purposely adopting a specific regimen.
I lost better than a third of my body weight during one 14-month period years ago doing exactly that and have lost a number of pounds at other times; maintenance is my recurring failing.
I noticed an absence of obesity several years ago during a visit to France, and also that meals always were much smaller than what we find in the United States. It seems too often we equate quality with quantity when it comes to food.
If I were to compile resolutions, another I would add is to be more caring and tolerant of others and what they think. Sometime ago I realized that making judgments on the basis of a handful of comments or actions is far and away the wrong outcome.
Take your time and get to know someone; don’t rush to judgment. Give others a chance to explain why they think the way they do. You just might find revelation.
Also, I learned long ago you glean more from conversations by listening more and talking less. The result is more meaningful discourse, and usually more enduring friendships.
Finally, I’d like to be more considerate and generous with others. I’ve found — in large measure because of the influence of wife Beverly — that it really is more blessed to give than to receive, both philosophically and materially.
Treating others as you would have them treat you may be well-worn advice, but nonetheless it is an all-encompassing approach we all should embrace.
Looking ahead to a new year with resolution
