There are a lot of things you can resolve to do but here are my top four things to do this New Year.
Take Great Care of Yourself
Given the declining health of Americans and the escalating cost of healthcare, one of the best things you can do as a parent is be a model of good health. More than a third of American adults and sixty percent of American children are obese.
This just in, your children do what you do. If you don’t value your health, the odds are that your children won’t value theirs. Unhealthy children are incapable of taking care of unhealthy parents. So if for no more than selfish reasons stop pretending in 2013.
If you are overweight, stop buying larger clothes, stop sucking in your gut, stop making excuses, get some exercise and lose some weight. If your diet continues to consist of animal protein, artificial flavored and preservative additive foods, try mixing in some (lots) fresh fruits and vegetables. Remember, you are the Goose that lays the Golden egg. If the Goose is sick or worse dies, your entire family suffers.
Love Like Today is Your Last Day
We often quote that tomorrow is not promised but few if any of us really appreciate the meaning of the quote until it is too late. Relationships of all kinds would be greatly improved if we recognized and embraced the value of the present moment.
Life is finite which means when the time in the Great Hour Glass runs out, time is out. Life is not a video game – we don’t get do-overs. We don’t get to turn the hour-glass over and restart our turn at life. So if you love someone make sure that if this was yours or their last day, there would be no question about how you felt and whether they knew how you felt about them.
Loving like today is your last is a much better alternative to sitting at a funeral staring at a casket wishing you had said or done something different. Say and/or do something different today, it could be your last chance.
Recognize What is Really Important This New Year
Before your children get a chance to mimic their materialistic workaholic parents by becoming full-fledged misguided capitalist, resolve to change your evil ways by becoming the model for valuing what truly matters. And what truly matters you ask – people not things.
The make of your car, the size of your home, the designer name on your clothes…all pale in comparison to people – to those you love and those whom love you. Unfortunately though, most of us fail to appreciate the authenticity of this statement until it is too late.
Start today by doing yourself and your children a favor: read an obituary and/or attend a funeral. You know what you will likely never read or hear? You will likely never read or hear any mention about the make and model of the deceased’s car, the size and value of their home or the designer clothes they preferred to wear. Instead, the only things you will read or hear will be about who they loved and who loved them, what they valued and the things that they enjoyed. What do your children and those you love think is most important to you – things or them?
Dream Audaciously
Regardless of your age, life experiences or your current station in life…never ever stop dreaming. Dreams are the most essential conduits to an advancing society.
Imagine a world where no one dreamt. Imagine being born into a world that would never change that would never improve. For many of us that would mean being born into a world that would never have color TV, satellite or cable TV, the internet, CDs or mp3, mobile phones, personal computers, hybrid cars, Nike shoes, etc.
Someone just like you dreamt of the aforementioned things and because of those dreams society has improved and you have personally benefited greatly. You and/or your child have the ability to do something that could change the world. All you have to do is take the first step – just dream!
What have you resolved to do this new year? Are you truly committed to accomplish your things to do?