It’s that time of year again when the calendar winds down and we all start thinking about what we did right and what we did wrong in the course of the last twelve months. Then we sit down to figure out how to live a better life in the coming year and make resolutions to change, improve, and rearrange our lives.
Two weeks later, most of us find ourselves disappointed with our progress and ditch the whole shooting match until another calendar hits the recycle bin and we start all over again.
Still, hope springs eternal. We try again and again. I try again and again to be a better person. And so I do have a list of New Year’s resolutions which I will share with you all.
Resolved: I will concern myself more with the state of my health and less with the state of my waistline. I need to move more than I have of late, not to get thinner but to feel generally better. Therefore I resolve to find a fun form of exercise in the coming year. If I lose any weight, I lose it. If I gain weight, I gain it. If my weight remains precisely the same, it remains precisely the same.
Resolved: I will try on any pretty piece of clothing I would like to have. If it looks good on me and I can afford it, it will come home with me. I will not fear what anyone else might say about my clothing choices. Bright colors, tight cuts, low cuts, full cuts…it’s my body and I will decorate it in the way I choose.
Resolved: I will not engage in negative body talk. I will not refer to any food as ‘bad’ unless the quality is seriously substandard. I will not join in discussions bemoaning the size of thighs, hips, butts, bellies, or any other part of my body. I will not agree with anyone else seeking disapproval on their bodies, either. When it starts, I have three choices: ignore the discussion, change the subject, or remove myself from the conversation. I think I will probably change a few subjects in the coming months.
Resolved: I will eat when I am hungry. I will stop eating when I am full. I will eat what my body tells me it wants. What I choose to eat is not up for shaming discussions with anyone, including me. Food is fuel, fun fuel that I enjoy preparing and consuming. I damn well intend to enjoy the hell out of it. Whether I’m in the mood for chocolate cake, Brussels sprouts, roast chicken, or pizza rolls, I will eat it and appreciate it to the fullest.
Resolved: I will share what I have learned about loving my body with those who are open to it, but I will remember that not everyone is open to these concepts. I will be an ambassador for body acceptance, not a bully.
Resolved: I will continue to do my best to find the funny, share the superfantastic, and engage in enlightening discussions with all of you who read this blog.
May all of you find good fortune, joy, and glorious shoes in the coming year!
One of my resolutions is to give compliments and thanks when they are due … and both are due to you, my dear Twistie. I look forward to more wonderful posts from you in 2009.
Comment by Despina — December 28, 2008 @ 8:39 pm