Resolutions, Resolutions

With the New Year celebration now behind us, and New Year football games all over, it’s time to get serious about what 2012 is going to mean to us. Many have spent at least part of the day yesterday thinking about what New Year’s Resolutions they’re going to make; while others are still thinking.

Have you ever noticed how little effect a New Year resolution really has? I mean, how many people have you known who’ve made some spectacular resolutions, that didn’t even last out the week. Maybe you’ve done so as well. For some reason, resolutions don’t seem to work for us. Maybe because there’s no real commitment, just a declaration.

You see, the decision and the commitment are what make us change; not the declaration. Oh, the declaration helps, because then we let others know about it. But, if that declaration doesn’t have force of decision behind it, it’s just empty words. How many empty words have you said through the years? Even more importantly, how much have you hurt your wife through those empty words? Hmmm? You realize that when you make a resolution to do something for her benefit, then don’t do it, you hurt your wife, don’t you?

Okay, so maybe making New Year’s resolutions isn’t a good idea. But, making change for the better is always a good idea. In fact, to make things better always requires some sort of change. I like what Edwin Louis Cole said about change, “Change isn’t change, until it’s change.”

Isn’t that great? You see, talking about change isn’t change. Making a declaration to change isn’t change. Doing it once or twice isn’t change. It’s not change until you actually do it on regular basis. That’s the hard part, making it regular. That doesn’t mean you’ll never slip up and make a mistake. We all do. But when the times you do the change outnumber the times you slip up, you’re finally on the right track.

Now, we can all come up with things we should change; that’s generally pretty easy. But, what does your wife want you to change? What irritating thing do you do, which bothers her? After all, if you want to get the most bang for your buck, it makes a whole lot more sense to change something that she complains about, rather than something that you think would be a good idea.

Does your weight annoy her? Then go on a diet. Does she complain about the stuff you leave laying all over the house? Okay, then learn how to put things away? Is she bothered by the fact that you never help out in the kitchen. Well, then it sounds like it’s time to learn how to wash the dishes (don’t worry, you won’t stop being a man). Do your complaints drag her down? Then shut your mouth and learn how to b more positive.

Now remember, it doesn’t do any good to just make a resolution, you need to make a commitment. Make that firm decision and commit to it. Let her know, and even give her permission to point out to you when you blow it (yeah, I know that’s hard; but don’t blow at her when she does it).

What do you do when you blow it? Simple, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try it again. You’ll never learn to walk if you give up the first time you fall down.