Resolutions

Skyler Hesch, Campus Life Editor

Whether it was formal or informal, internal or external, broadcasted on social media or quietly written down in a private journal, we all made some sort of resolution coming into the new year, regardless of if we called it a “resolution” or not. We are coming to that point in the year where most resolutions to lose weight, spend less money, make coffee instead of buying it, or recycle, amongst other things, are being abandoned, forgotten about, given up, or no longer prioritized.

With this year being so busy for me – graduating, planning a wedding, moving, finding a job, getting married, etc. – I decided to make resolutions that are not restrictive and do not involve as much of a time commitment. It is not that I do not want to spend time on these things, but they are goals I can accomplish wherever and whenever. They do not depend on anyone except for me. My resolutions are more so a change in my thinking and the manner in which I will go about doing things and approach situations.

One of my resolutions is to be brave. Some might not even consider this a resolution because of how vague and general it is, but I do. This resolution is not to say I think I am not brave, but that I want to be even more brave, and be brave in all areas of my life. On my SEND trip to Baltimore earlier this month, my resolution to be brave helped me to get outside of my comfort zone and interact with everyone I encountered with a smile and open heart. I stopped worrying about what part of the city I was in and the type of people I thought I was with. I made so many connections with people I would not have met otherwise if I had not decided to be brave. Another area in particular that I want to be brave is with my faith. There are so many people out there in the world that feel lost and helpless, searching for someone or something to fill the void in their life. I feel like it is my responsibility to be brave and share my faith so it might help others or help me make more connections.

Another resolution I have for 2020 is to write more. For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with journals. When I was younger, I pretended to Harriet the Spy and kept notes on my parents, siblings, neighbors, and the very few cars that drove down my street. As I got older, I started occasionally writing down the things happening in my life, like my crushes, dreams, and drama with friends. In high school I started sporadically writing poetry. I had big writing plans for college, but never really got around to doing the whole bullet journal, write every day sort of thing. I have to give myself some slack on that though, because I have been in creative writing classes and produced some pieces I’m pretty proud of. This year is going to be different. I started journaling right from the start and I do not plan on stopping. In addition to writing more, I decided that when I get an idea in my head, I need to write it down immediately, whether I am in class or about to fall asleep. I have wasted too many good ideas by counting on my memory, so catch me furiously writing any time I have a worthwhile idea.

My last resolution (that I will mention in this column) is to be more positive. I would already consider myself a cheerful and friendly person, but I want to exude this joy and positive mental attitude even more. I think we often spend too many seconds and minutes and hours dwelling on the past, thinking about things that upset us, and wishing things could have gone differently. When we focus on the negatives, we miss out on all the good things happening around us. There is this analogy that always sticks with me: “So, you have $86,400 in your account and someone stole $10 from you. Would you be upset and throw all of the $86,390 away in hopes of getting back at the person that took your $10? Or move on and live? Right, move on and live. See, we have 86,400 seconds in every day so don’t let someone’s negative 10 seconds ruin the rest of the 86,390. Don’t sweat the small stuff, life is bigger than that.” I guess my point is, you are responsible for your attitude and outlook on life. Do you want to be known as someone who constantly complained and wished things were better? Or someone who made everyone smile and lived life to the fullest?

My last comment is- if there is something that you want to do, do it. There is no one but yourself holding you back or telling you that you have to wait to start or stop something. You do not need to wait until lent or your birthday or 2021. We only have so much time, do what you can to make the most of it.