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Thoughts for The New Year

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Jeff Kelly
  • 315th AW
Charleston Air Force Base --  As we usher in another New Year, the customs and traditions that January 1st brings will start to creep back into our daily lives. Each one of us will date our checks incorrectly, we will enlighten all of our friends as to exactly how much weight we gained over the holidays and we will make resolutions that will more than likely not be kept.

There is nothing that can be done about the first two practices. Somewhere written into the eternal laws of the universe are two rules that state no matter what you eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you will always gain weight; and even if you have a calendar directly in front of you, the wrong year will be written on your checks for at least 30 days after the New Year. But as for resolutions, the possibility of success or failure of them lies squarely on our own shoulders.

What we choose as a resolution for the New Year has a lot to do with whether we will keep it or not. Too often we find ourselves vowing to change the world around us when the true change needs to occur much closer to home. This reminds me of something Tolstoy said, "Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself." What is funny about this dichotomy is that if a person does attain positive internal change, the world around them usually changes for the better by default.

If you are having trouble deciding on a resolution this year, I have a few suggestions that might help all of us be better people and just might cause some true change in this crazy world of ours as well.

First we can start by making a resolution to just be better friends. The only way to have a friend is to be one, and this means 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Ask yourself, "When was the last time you truly went out of your way to help a friend in need?" "When was the last time you spoke with that elderly neighbor or relative that is living alone?" "When was the last time you just told a friend how much they meant to you?" Being a better friend does not cost anything and can be done every single day, and the positive effects of this simple act are immeasurable.

This leads me to another resolution that is free of charge and has endless benefits. Make the resolution to love and care a little more. Love without ceasing. Anything can be defeated by its opposite, fire with water, darkness with light, hate with love. Think of how much better this place could be if we just cared a little more and loved a little stronger every day. It is not enough to be compassionate for others, you must act. It can start with your family and friends, and this can help you to keep the first resolution as well. It feels so good to love friends and family passionately...deeply...to love our friends and family as they truly are, the rough edges and the smooth. Likewise, loving the potentiality and the reality of each friend, standing by one another during life's peaks and valleys and offering a shoulder to lean on when life's load becomes a burden to carry. I charge everyone who reads this with that small task. Just Love More. Start with your friends, your neighbors and just go from there.

Remember that each moment, each hour, each day is a chance along life's journey to keep these resolutions. Remember that by changing ourselves, we can change the world around us. And remember that life is a marathon not a sprint. The desire to make change in our own lives has to be ongoing. I will leave you with a quote from Benjamin Franklin that seemed to me an appropriate ending for this discourse. "Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better person."

In these first few days of the year, if we all just take time to reflect upon our fortune, our connectedness with each other, and ways in which we can better ourselves and help better our friends and family, I think we all could consider our resolutions a success.