So, how are you doing as far as keeping your new year’s resolutions is concerned? I’m doing great with mine, I have to say. *pats own shoulder* Mind you, they are not at all very easy to keep. Well, we’re only 4 days into the new year but I have every desire to keep all of my new year’s resolutions. More than desiring to keep ‘em, I will do my darnest best to make sure I keep them!
I have 5 new year’s resolutions and losing weight isn’t one of them. 
These resolutions, I didn’t formulate myself. They were but mere gentle “suggestions” from Fr. Rusty, the main celebrant of the New Year’s Eve mass we attended. I am so glad we got to attend Fr. Rusty’s mass. We wouldn’t have been able to do so had we not been late for an earlier mass at another church. Blessing in disguise, I tell you!
I am taking up Fr. Rusty’s new year’s resolutions challenge. At the risk of sounding preachy, self-righteous even, here they are:
1. Submit myself to the fact that life isn’t fair.
I shun all sorts of negativity and sources of negative vibes. But isn’t this first resolution akin to expecting something will go wrong? Well, yes and no. 
Fr. Rusty explains it this way, if we accept that life isn’t fair, we are most likely not to blame anyone if something does go wrong. Hmmm. Makes a lot of sense to me.
Go back to those times in the past when something went wrong and, no, it doesn’t have to be a biggie. Say, when the car wouldn’t start, when you were late for something, when the chicken came out overcooked. Did somebody get blamed…somebody but yourself? 
If the wordings of #1 is too negative, just replace it with, err, “Sh#t Shucks happens.” Kidding.
2. Be happy where I am now.
This is an easy one to keep. I’ve long accepted that happiness is a choice and it’s one we have to consciously choose for ourselves…ALL THE TIME. Many are guilty of delaying their happiness. Have you ever sounded like any of the following: “I”ll be happy when I land a job.” “I’ll be happy when I lose weight.” “I’ll be happy when I’ve paid off all my debts.” “I’ll be happy when I retire.” As we delay happiness, life continues to go on and it passes us by.
True, this is easier said than done. How can one be happy when there are problems waiting to be solved? When there are hungry mouths waiting to be fed? I choose to look at it this way, when one is happy, which is a very positive feeling, the more we attract things, people, events to be happy about. The more we sulk, the more we dwell on ill feelings, the more we attract things that make us feel heavy. Where’s peace of mind in these? Right, nowhere.
3. Mind my own business.
This is probably the hardest to keep. Why? Ang sarap kayang pag-usapan ang iba! Hee hee. This has become a sort of private joke between my Mom, Hubby and me. Everytime we find our conversations drifting to other people and why they do what they do and act the way they act we remind each other in a sing-song manner to, “Uuuuy, mind your own bisnes.” Hee hee.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were her.” “What was he thinking?” “Where is my neighbor going so early in the morning?” We’ve elevated gossiping and minding other people’s business into an art form. As soon as we stop talking about other people behind their backs, gossiping and meddling in other people’s affairs, we’ll find ourselves with plenty of precious time and energy, time and energy we can devote to being and doing something more useful. What do you think? Mas masarap pa ring pag-usapan ang iba? I totally getcha. I told you this was the hardest to keep! Hee hee.
4. Live each day as if it were my last.
Of all the resolutions, this was the one that made the most impact on me. Because really, there’s just so much we take for granted, often, the people we love. We postpone saying things that matter, going to places we’d love to see even if they’re just around the corner because we think they will still be there tomorrow.
For this 4th resolution, there are a few important lines that I will definitely be keeping handy, not that I don’t already do: “I love you.” “Thank you.” and “I”m sorry.” And when they fit the situation: “I forgive you.” and/or “I accept your apology.” The last three lines are harder to say, I know, specially when we think and feel we’ve been hurt so deeply. Good thing we have a role model to emulate when it comes to forgiveness, He who has been hurt the most in the history of mankind yet still forgave. Where will we be if God chose to delay His forgiveness? I rest my case.
Say it now! Do things now! Live now!
5. Fill my life with love.
How does one fill one’s life with love? By being a source of love, of course! We don’t have to look for love elsewhere to fill our lives with it, which I think is just wonderful. Terrible as it is to give love and not be loved in return, just go ahead and be generous with that love. It’s not going to be your loss anyway.
If we fill our lives with love, it will be easy to submit ourselves to the fact that life isn’t fair. We’ll easily be happy where we are now. And if we are filled with love, there’s no room for minding other people’s business. And love is one of the most important ingredients to living each day as if it were last.
Congratulations if you got this far! I’m in “the zone” as you can see.
Live. Laugh. Love. Forgive. Forget. NOW!…my new mantra.
Cheers y’all!
