A Mindful New Year’s Perspective

We owe ourselves one reliable and important New Year’s resolution — to live each day completely and with gratitude

By Marylin Smith Carsley

Previously published on January 14, 2016

This coming year, I shall really try to change… Once again those familiar well-intentioned resolutions have returned. Expectations are high, but within time motivation tapers down steadily until there is barely a flicker of hope. By the end of January all is usually forgotten and people remain as they have been; a little overweight, lethargic and personally disappointed.

Each New Year, promises are made to enhance lives. With great resolve, there is sincerity in the effort to achieve them. Rarely are they fulfilled, as many tend to reach for the unobtainable. Perhaps a more mindful resolve can eliminate this triviality and true concentration on what makes sense will become more successful. So this New Year’s, with great determination I resolve not to resolve anything superficial! No more oaths about renewing my fitness schedule, or healthier eating or cleaning the basement.

With so much tragedy in the world and challenging health issues that surround us knowingly and unknowingly, we owe ourselves one reliable and important resolution for the New Year and that is to “live each day completely and with gratitude.” Cliché, but true and it happens to be one of the most challenging and meaningful mottos to live by. With all my inner determination, and desire to keep this promise, I cannot seem to keep this resolution properly.

Each New Year, promises are made to enhance lives. With great resolve, there is sincerity in the effort to achieve them. Rarely are they fulfilled, as many tend to reach for the unobtainable.

As I grow older, the realities of life strike habitually. Besides the passage of time and the ongoing unacceptable aging process, I am occasionally fearful of things beyond my control. I am not a frivolous person, I eat healthy, have always exercised (no resolution needed there) and I try to balance work time and leisure. Frequently I do become extremely overwhelmed with my overabundance of obligations and that stress does overpower me. My true personal claim to fame is my inability to live each day. I prefer planning and organizing for the future and I am not adaptable when something takes me by surprise.

Spur of the moment, let the chips fall where they may… let’s see what happens… not me! I insist on order and structure and most of all, control! Life’s unpredictable moments do not permit this to happen and this concept of living for the moment makes me very uncomfortable.

But now I resolve with complete dedication to stop this addictive preplanning behaviour in the new year. It will be a weaning process and I may still have to hold onto my detailed agenda for security. The mindfulness idea is about focusing on the immediate and just cherishing the moment; the beautiful weather, a laugh, a special dinner, friendships, travel and the joy of children.

‘The mindfulness idea is about focusing on the immediate and just cherishing the moment; the beautiful weather, a laugh, a special dinner, friendships, travel and the joy of children.’

We know that our habits and daily routine can be abruptly interrupted by unexpected events beyond our control. When we wake up on a sunny morning or a cloudy day and everything seems peaceful, we should give thanks and make the day the best it can be.

We should accept all that we cannot control and learn to emerge from our technologically infused world to stroll outdoors (without the phone), breathe fresh air and have a person-to-person conversation and not an email or a text exchange. If we savour each day, we can prolong and enrich our existence by just valuing the moments that we tend to neglect in our hurry to satisfy all our desires. Tragedy rears itself constantly and the best way to survive it is to build a repertoire of special times to balance out what is forthcoming.

Therefore my New Year’s resolution begins instantly as I resolve with absolute devotion to live to the best of my abilities and in the moment. I shall value and appreciate the positive and not dwell on the negative and especially not worry about what is to come. We do not possess control anyway so we might as well attempt to take it in stride and value each moment in time. Happy New Year and live in the present!

Image: Josef Grunig via StockPholio.com

Other articles by Marylin Smith Carsley

Marylin Smith Carsley is a Westmount writer whose work has appeared in several publications.