Well, it’s a new year, and for many people, that means it’s time for New Year’s Resolutions. It’s interesting to me to observe peoples’ reactions to the new year and to resolution-making. Obviously advertisers are out in full-force selling us every kind of exercise machine, gym memberships, vitamins and weight-loss powders. That’s because many people resolve to lose weight or become more fit and healthy in a new year.
But lots of media this year have been tracking the “no-resolution” trend. Seems a lot of people are waking up to the fact that the majority of resolutions are not kept (just go to the gym in July and see how many of the January recruits are still sticking it out), so they’re advocating an end to the whole tradition of New Year’s resolutions, period. This on the basis that we’re all swimming around in a sea of good intentions but accomplishing very little of consequence at all.
And that’s a trend I just can’t get behind. See, I for one believe that a good intention, even if never completely realized, is, nonetheless, still good. And it turns out, I’m not the only one to think so. And with that, here’s my Wednesday Affirmation, from famous poet and philosopher Khalil Gibran:
The significance of a man is not in what he attains but in what he longs to attain. — Khalil Gibran