So, another year has begun! Perhaps another old year, that seems important at a particular time, but then fades into the back of our minds just like the other monotonous schedules we start, finish, then forget. On the other hand, it could be a year that is amazing, eventful, and memorable--the kind of year where there are so many fun and exciting stories that our kids in the future won't ever stop hearing about it, and wishing that they were grown up already and could get on to doing fun and awesome stuff like that!

What kind of year is this going to be? I don't know. But I guess that's where resolutions come in. They seem to kindle the hope that this will be the year we work out diligently and end up with the model body we've always hoped for; the year we get all of our organizational habits into place and can work to our full potential; the year we mend all broken relationships and create new ones we will cherish 'til the end of time; the year we can obtain happiness and inner peace. It's always nice to think that we can pave our path instead of the path paving us. As Lennon said once, "Life is what happens when you are making other plans." Which is so true!

So what, then? Why do we make resolutions? Honestly, what we hope for, and even what we predict, we can rule out as being impossible. Has anyone ever predicted an exact picture of how the future is going to be? If you know of anyone, please let me know--I will be fascinated beyond reason. Some would argue that Nostradamus has done just that, but even if he did predict several of the events that have taken place (I'm not that familiar with what he predicted so I don't have an opinion on his accuracy,) I am pretty sure he didn't have an exact picture in his mind of how the future would be.

Anyway, my point is that it is a mathematical certainty that life isn't going ot be exactly what we want it to be. Before, I used to get upset and feel let down when events didn't go my exactly planned way. I realize now how naive that was. No matter what, unplanned crises are going to come up--but so are unplanned blessings. And in the end, the best of all possible worlds is the one we live in. Nothing we could create in our minds could be as incredible and moving as the lives we live--with all the blood, sweat, pain, tears, smiles, revelations, and the love. We could never plan out the surprises that pop up in our faces and teach us profound tidbits about ourselves, humanity, and the world around us.

Thus far, what I have learned is that we can make resolutions and follow through on them, but we have to realize that the effects of our successes are not going to be what we planned. Regardless of whether or not our reached goals bring us the resutls we'd wished for, our doing good ends up in something good one way or another. Even if exercising won't make me lose weight (it won't if it isn't paired with effective dieting), it will relieve stress, increase my ability to use my body to do whatever I wish to do, increase my ability to concentrate, help me sleep better, and increase my day-to-day available energy.

In the end, it's all about the physical barrier again. The physical barrier will deny us physical results from time to time, throw surprise distractions in our direction, and even cake on some devastation and loss on the way. We can't control a whole bunch of what happens. But we can control whether or not we give up. We can control what we do with what is thrown at us. We can decide whether or not to endure the hardships of life with vigor, or whether to just lean back and let the events of life conquer us. Endurance is what will help us overcome the physical barrier.

This is where I get to my personal new year's resolutions. I realize I am a bit late writing this up, but I am on vacation in Florida and haven't exactly been hovering over my computer, eager to type up my resolutions just yet. But here I am. It is still a new year, and I have lots of time to fulfill my resolutions!

My first resolution is to work on more healthy habits for myself, including nutrition and exercise. How about absolutely no cookies for an entire year? I've always been curious--I read a short story by Issac Asimov in highschool called "What If?" and this little man something that looked like one of those watches that snap shut, but instead, when opened, it would project a screen that would show portray would have happened if there had been a change in events, or someone had made a different decision. What if I had that contraption, and asked "What if I had never eaten a cookie in my entire life?" what the results would be. Would I weight less? Would I feel better, healthier? Probably! I eat WAY too many cookies. I have a massive weakness for them. And I think that cutting them out of my diet completely would have a large effect on the amount of sugar I take in--I'm sure that it is way too much, just like most Americans, who consume an average of 150 pounds of sugar a year. Considering the negative effects of sugar, which include lowered mental agility, the storage of more fat, increased cancer and heart disease risks, and other stuff that I can't think of right now, I really should jump at any opportunity I can to limit my amount of sugar intake. So, my goal is no cookies, and to avoid sweets at whatever cost.

In addition, I want to become military-strict when it comes to taking in my needed fruits and vegetables every day.

Next, I want to exercise on a consistent basis. I failed to do so last semester because I was studying all the time, and I realize now that I might have done considerably better had I exercised, even if it had taken away from my study time. My stress would have been lower, I would have slept better, and my mind would have been more capable.

My final goal is to wake up with enthusiasm every day, and to make sure I get excited todo everything I do. I know a lot of it is stuff I have to do, but when it seems crappy and to be the last activity I'd desire to engage in, I should remind myself that I am getting myself one step closer to my major goals in life. And that is something to get pumped up about!

Good luck with your new year's resolutions, everyone!