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| Most of the time... |
I suppose it's that time of year again...time for my usual 'I-can't-stand-another-month-of-this-godawful-beyond-freezing-never-going-to-stop-snowing-winter' post.
So far I've managed to resist the urge, although I documented my area's epic November snowstorm, which dropped approximately 88 inches over a three-day span (Changed Plans). You know, I don't like to complain...about anything...ever. In my mind, marinating in negativity only makes a bad experience worse. I also hate the idea of being predictable (like, late January = insert I-hate-winter post here), especially now that I'm striving for increased spontaneity.
Of course I realize that living in upstate New York is a choice that I've made, so I'm hardly a victim. I've thought about that a lot lately, as I always do at this time of year, but especially now as I formulate a response to my Florida-resident sister's comment of "I don't know how anyone makes it through winter there." My initial reaction was "I don't either!" (And just to place this conversation in its proper context, I'll note that it took place a few hours after I'd seriously feared for my life while driving to work in a whiteout blizzard that required me to pull over on the side of the road for 30 minutes with my flashers on.) I mean, I have a love-hate relationship with my hometown. I love where I live...seven months a year. It's the other five months that make me question my intelligence and sanity.
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| Desert wonderlands await |
What's helping me maintain my sanity this year is the rainbow at the end of the downpour. You see, I've booked a hiker's dream trip this summer to Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park (with one night in Las Vegas before I come home to reality!), so desert daydreams will sustain me through the next few months of wintry woes. It might still be snowing here when I leave, but it's a sure bet (no Vegas pun intended) that it won't be in Arizona!
My resolution for 2015 is to have more fun. Seriously.
Days and weeks of my life pass as I systematically check off each item on my to-do list, which seems to grow longer each week. If I should happen to stop and think about it, I have to wonder, When was the last time I enjoyed a real belly laugh (the kind that works your abs and your facial muscles) or offered someone a genuine smile (versus a polite frozen smile that my job and basic politeness seem to require)? I've started to realize that I don't spend enough time or effort laughing or smiling. (And yes, unfortunately, these activities often require thought and effort.)
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But I also know that having fun, much like relaxing, meditating, and enjoying life, is easier said than done, at least for someone like me who is type-A, overly anxious, overly analytical, and prone to melancholia. I'm determined to stick with it, though. Perhaps I should use my perfectionism to my advantage by setting small, easily-achievable daily goals for myself. Like, for example, today I will stop what I'm doing and greet at least one coworker with a sincere happy-to-see-you (even if I'm not...ha ha) smile and eventually work my way up to all of my coworkers. And maybe I'll set a goal of watching at least one sitcom (Roseanne reruns these days) every day and one comedic film each weekend in a dogged attempt to provoke at least one laugh or smile to meet my newly-set daily quota. (Yes, one more item on my daily list of tasks. The irony, and its humor, isn't lost on me.)
Looking back over the past few years, though, I've noticed that resolutions have a way of creating themselves by the end of the year despite my stated intentions at the start of the year. In 2013, for example, my initial achieved resolution was to start a blog, which I did, that month. What I didn't realize then was that starting a blog set off a chain reaction that led to skydiving, learning how to swim, and trying horseback riding, yoga, and Pilates. So that one brave but scary action at the start of the year led me to become more adventurous in 2013.
Last year my general goal was to keep improving myself. By the end of the year, I'm fairly certain that I not only did that but I also became more accepting of myself and more content with my life, which was much more than I'd imagined or hoped for in January.
So, even though setting resolutions at the start of a new year can seem silly and pointless, I believe it's important. That one beginning baby step forward can lead to a plethora of progress 11 months later. It often does for me.
