After a tumultuous 2017 for many of us, we are all but ready to kick off the brand-new year on a positive note. Part and parcel of this could mean getting your life straightened out.
Resolutions we make during this time of the year often don't last for long. Many of us forget them as the months pass, landing us right back into our old bad habits. More exercise. Zero cigarettes. These promises are forgotten after months, if not weeks, often riddling us with guilt.
As each New Year comes and goes, and we get a year wiser, I find it increasingly necessary in a self-centred culture that we live to think of others. Thus, this year I would like to share my New Year's resolutions that could apply to not just me but a wider audience.
Number one on my list is happiness. We have all been through a lot in 2017 -- sickness, financial hardships, broken relationships and more -- and so I would say that I wish to see everyone smile more this year. So may happiness be in whatever you endeavour to accomplish.
Peace of mind is another of my wishes for everyone. We live in a chaotic, over-thinking world, where finding time to relax means waiting for one's yearly vacation. So my next wish is to see us all relax and be able to rest our minds no matter the conundrums we happen to see ourselves in.
I wish everyone love, which is said to be the greatest of all healers. My hope is that everyone experiences this to the point that it wells up within you, overflowing into the lives of people near and dear to you.
For me, the first day of 2018 means the need to prepare myself emotionally to face a roller-coaster ride of new experiences, both pleasant and unpleasant. Being open to what may come eases unnecessary tension. Often enough, this is not sufficient. When situations seem they have no solution, it is faith that comes into practice. What I hope for myself and others is that we hold on to the belief that we are not alone, there is a greater being guiding and directing our path. This is the mindset that helps us pull through the most difficult situations.
Let this also be a year we look after our health. We can get so entangled with shouldering our responsibilities that often times we overlook the need to eat three square meals a day, exercise regularly and sometimes sleep early.
I believe having a healthily lifestyle goes hand in glove with love. It is only when we learn to love ourselves that we pay attention to ourselves in a healthy manner.
Learning to let go of situations that are not under one's control might be easier said than done, but I believe we should strive to reach this, if we hope to enjoy a greater peace of mind. Complaining takes us nowhere.
Learning to let go by no means equates to throwing in the towel. When you release a situation that you have no power over, you gain freedom over it. It lessens the stress and makes you think more clearly about the next step you need to take.
When considering my relationships, I desire to see myself forgive people who have wronged me more easily and with no conditions attached.
I would like to recall what forgiveness involves. To begin with, I am not condoning what is wrong or acting as if it never happened -- but simply letting it go. There are definitely benefits to forgiving.
It is a proven fact that letting go of anger and resentment can help us to keep calm, improve our health and increase happiness. Being empathetic is equally important in a self-centred world. All of us are imperfect. Simply put, just as we appreciate being forgiven, we should likewise forgive the mistakes of others.
Practicing mindfulness is something I don't think of much, but realise is important in leading a fulfilled life. This year I hope to be more aware of my behaviour. Just how often do I reach for my phone out of habit? Keeping a tab on my feelings and thought patterns. Devoting more attention to what is in front of me.
Lastly, I desire to make a difference wherever I happen to be. I think we all can do this in our own special way. For some, it's activism, while for others it could be awareness-raising or promoting a cause.
I have heard that true greatness comes from serving others. When you use your talents and gifts to give, miracles happen. When we can all jointly attest to this as true, I do believe the world will radically change.
Yvonne Bohwongprasert is a features writer of the Life section of the Bangkok Post.
