Promises, Promises

New Year’s Resolutions – Have you made one?  I’ve gotten to a point I don’t make resolutions, I just say I’m going to do better than I did before.  So many of us start out with good intentions, our ‘who-we-need-to-forgive-or-ask-forgiveness’ lists, our fitness goals, our healthier eating goals … and let’s not forget our 30-60-90 day challenges.   The many fitness centers eagerly awaiting our arrival as we promise to get fit for just one dollar … only to have those things slowly fall to the wayside.

Part of my vacation included organizing my home office.  I’m sitting here right now, surrounded by mountains of diet cookbooks, exercise books, healthy-living pamphlets, exercise DVDs, meditation CDs and half-used journals.  All of these items accumulated over the years … each one a different end of the year resolution.  I have self-help books on every subject, how-to books, inspirational books, home improvement books and even books on how to write books … all purchased with good intentions for a new year.  Even with all that, I forgot the most important thing, improving myself from within.  

I’ve said I don’t make resolutions however, now I do make promises … to myself.  These promises are supposed to keep me on track, hold me accountable, make me a better person and improve my inner-self.  I have promised myself I will attend bible study in the coming year and that I will not allow people to schedule things that could conflict with that night.  That’s something I can control.  And that’s another promise I made to myself, take back control of my life … both in and out of the home.  Most importantly, I have promised myself I will live the life I encourage others to live.  It is crazy that I tell someone else how or what they should do yet not apply this advice in my own life (physician heal thyself).

So I’ve made a conscious decision, not a resolution - While I’m working (slowly) on my outer-self I am also working on my inner-self.