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I Actually Made a New Year’s Resolution
Happy New Year to Everyone!
First, let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year! Borrow From None is back after a short hiatus for the Christmas holiday…thanks for stopping back. It was a great break and I hope that you and your family had a great end of the year as well!
I do not usually make New Year’s Resolutions
I can’t remember the last year I made a new year’s resolution. I know they are very popular, but I just don’t make them. I guess I’ve always kinda felt it was hokey to make some big “resolution” on December 31st that you know you’ll probably break by January 4th. I guess that’s why I never went for them.
For some reason, however, this year I felt led to make one. Probably it was because I had a resolution that I felt was actually worth keeping (I wonder what percentage of all of the resolutions are to “lose weight” or “stop smoking?”).
My 2009 Resolution: Be Generous
I am not a naturally generous person. I think the main reason is that I am somewhat selfish. It’s not something of which I’m proud…I’m just being honest. Also, I am especially not generous with others outside of my family because I’m preoccupied with saving/spending/investing for my family and myself. So, for 2009, I am going to force myself to be generous.
Not only force myself to be generous – but w0rk to internalize that generosity
My wife is a very generous person. Whenever she sees a need, she immediately tries to figure out how she can help meet that need. She always volunteers to take meals to friends. She always wants to buy gifts for other people. She immediately thinks about being generous and then figures out how to make it happen.
To be blunt, I do not think that way. I worry about how being generous will affect me and my family and my finances, etc. So I do feel that this resolution is a good idea for me (and hopefully for others around me) but it will certainly take some effort on my part
So, the first thing I will do to change my resolution from idea to reality is to force myself to be generous. I will keep telling myself, “be generous…it’s ok, be generous.” That part is fairly easy. But internalizing that and making generosity a natural response for me…well, I don’t really have a plan for how to make that happen yet. I’ll figure that out later (hopefully). You have any suggestions?
What about you? Are New Year’s Resolutions a part of your January 1st routine? Have you made any good ones this year?
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It sounds like we have almost exact copies of lives!
I am the same way. My wife dropped broke a perfume bottle and I asked how much was it, rather than offering help or condolences.
My wife is a natural giver, I am not. I am working hard to be changed into one, but if I don’t plan giving, like tithing, or monthly charity or support, I don’t. I rarely ever volunteer my time unless I plan it, because I am a hoarder.
The irony is that isn’t who I want to be, and not who I need to be to accomplish my dreams. That is why I need to dream big, ask for Help, and actually plan my giving so that my heart can start to be changed!
I wonder if we can start a blogger meme/movement to try and be more giving somehow. I don’t have any good ideas yet.
@THR – Regarding having exact copies of lives – it’s good we don’t work at the same place anymore…then it would be really spooky!
My husband and I are just the opposite: he’s the giver and I’m the selfish one. I like your resolution. I’m going to join you!
@Vicky – please join in and good luck with it! Maybe we can start a movement!
That’s a great resolution! I look forward to reading about how you implement it
But Leslie, New Year’s Resolutions are so much easier when no one is actually holding you accountable for following through! Actually, I have spent more than a few minutes so far this year literally saying to myself (in my head, of course) “it’s ok to be generous, being a little generous is not going to cause you to go bankrupt.” It will take some time before it is completely (or even somewhat) natural to me…but I’m working on it!
I learn something new each time I visit your blog, thanks!