Who am I? New Year's Resolutions

Christmas is over and the New Year is right in front of us, so what are the new things to accomplish? What are your resolutions for the coming year? Will you lose weight, exercise more, move, find love, or give up smoking?

Resolutions have been a part of history for thousands of years. The Babylonians are said to have been the first to start the practice of resolutions. They by promising to their gods to return borrowed items and pay their debts. That would be a superior resolution even by today's standards.

The Romans continued the resolution by making promises to their god Janus, the month of January was named for that particular god. In Medieval times the Knights took what they called a 'peacock vow' to reaffirm their vows to chivalry as a continuation of the resolution practice.

This practice began to become a part of a quarter of all American adults by the Great Depression and has risen to a solid 50% of the population in today's world. It would probably stand that the 50% statistic is a very conservative answer with far more people making resolutions. However, a vast majority of those resolutions are a private thought without formal acknowledgment.
Most popular resolutions:

• lose weight
• quit smoking
• make new friends
• travel more
• improve finances
• pray more often
• be kinder

No matter what the resolution happens to be, the real reason behind the practice remains the same. Self-improvement is the root concept of whatever promise a person makes.

Success or failure depends on the person making the resolutions. Statistics say that about 35% make unrealistic goals, 33% fail to follow through with the promise, and 23% just simply forget their promise. 1 in 10 claims that they simply make too many resolutions for anything to happen.

So what are your promises to the new year and a new more improved you? Will you lose that extra weight or put down cigarettes for the last time?

For me, I prefer just to promise to be thankful for what blessings pass my way. I promise to treat people as I hope they treat me. I promise to work hard to be as healthy as I possibly can, and I promise to remember that the little things in life can often be the most blessed of your life.

As the new year creeps slowly towards us on this last week of the year, I hope that everyone remembers to smile. It could be that simple act of smiling that allows you to have everything that you desire and to fulfill all your resolutions

Why could a smile lead to all of those things? Because if you work daily to be happy it often follows that happiness will come to you. So spread joy and happiness. Stop the anger and hatred that is tearing this world apart.