Tom Murphy
RedwoodAge.com
There's a reason we make resolutions for the new year. It's a custom that blends a measure of time with deep personal reflection. It makes you think about whether you've kept promises of the past, how you feel about the present, and the opportunity to change your life in the days ahead.
Perhaps the best resolutions aren't about ourselves at all, but about making the world a better place for others. Maybe that entails volunteering to help the less fortunate, adopting a homeless pet or donating some money (and feeling the instant gratification of a year-end tax deduction).
But sometimes it IS about you, and this is a good time of year for a good gaze in the mirror. At RedwoodAge, part of our motto is to "live a whole life" by balancing the intellectual, physical and spiritual parts of life. We've looked at resolutions for 2008 and 2009. Here are seven simple suggestions for 2010 as we wrap up the first decade of the 21st Century. Not surprisingly, most have to do with the things everyone is talking about right now: better health care, the security of money and the quest for peace. But how many of us are actually doing anything about them?
Get more sleep. Studies show burning the candle at both ends leads to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, depression, obesity, infection and just about every other ailment you can think of. Maybe you need a new pillow or mattress, or maybe you just need to drink a few less latte's. Whatever it is, the experts say the average person needs eight hours a night, and will lose up to a decade of life for every hour less than that. Some people need nine. Whatever you need, make a commitment to getting a few more hours in the year ahead.
Eat Better. We don't just mean "eat less." We mean "better." More whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Less sugar, fat and flour. More green stuff, less red or white stuff. More water, less caffeine and alcohol. Eating smarter will not only make you slimmer, but will save you money, reduce your global carbon footprint and lead to a healthier life.
Take a Walk. Or a bike ride, or a jog, or a swim. Toss a football or a frisbee. Play fetch with Fido. Just get outside. Breathe fresh air. Soak up Vitamin D from the sun (but wear sunscreen). Using your muscles will help keep you lean, stave off arthritis, bring you closer to others and restore the positive feeling that is so easy to lose sitting in front of a TV or computer all day. "People don't realize you can get tremendous benefit from regular physical activity even if you never lose a pound," says Peter Brubaker, professor of health and exercise science at Wake Forest University. He advises a minimum of 30 minutes a day, but an hour is twice as good.
Listen, Harder. Clearly, society is increasingly divided between the people you agree with and the people you don't. Some of this stems from having more choices of who to listen to on TV - those right-wing nuts or those left-wing nuts. Either way, remember they're wing nuts. If you're tuned into one extreme or the other, try turning on the opposition's channel and really trying to understand why they feel that way. Who knows? They may have a point. But listening is even more important during a conversation with your spouse, child, sibling, neighbor, coworker and friend. Look in their eyes. Ask them to clarify what they mean. Show them you're paying attention. And take them seriously. Why wouldn't you?
Save More. There's a lot of pressure on people to spend more money right now. Economic experts say the speed of the recovery is up to the consumer, whose spending accounts for two-thirds of the economy. But we should remember it was reckless spending and thoughtless borrowing that led us here in the first place. Learn to live within your means. Spend less than you earn, and for every $10 you spend, save one or two for the future. You can buy stocks, invest in your retirement, or gradually buy into CDs as interest rates rise. And consider this: consumers have incredible power right now to demand better value, safer products and lower prices. Don't waste that opportunity by spending on things you don't really like, want or need.
Wage Peace. From the soldier carrying a rifle to the terrorist strapping on a bomb, the quest for peace starts inside. The idea that peace can come by forcing others into submission only makes sense to the oppressor. In accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama made the case for just wars. But it is up to each of us to create a world of just and lasting peace by treating others with respect, sharing what we can with those around us and conversing with our harshest critics. Virtually all spiritual leaders urge us to follow those rules, yet how committed to making that part of our daily lives?
Save the Planet. Several of these resolutions have already touched on ways to reduce your impact on the environment - ride a bike, eat smarter, consume less - but it may take more than that to reduce global warming. There was a lot of attention on the world leaders who gathered in Copenhagen to talk about global warming, but we all need to put a lot of attention on ourselves, too. Can you cut your car mileage by a third in the year ahead by combining trips? Can you take the bus (or a bicycle) instead of driving? Can you heat one room at night instead of your whole house? And would you please turn off the light when you leave a room?
