New Year’s Resolutions©
Posted: Friday, December 30, 2011
by Arlene Wright-Correll
http://www.learn-america.com
I think that more resolutions are made this time of year than any other time simply because it seems to be a tradition and I think traditionally most of them are broken.
So a long time ago I resolved not to make any resolutions, but to simply reaffirm my strong suits and strengthen my weaknesses while trying to consciously get rid of bad habits that had seem to unconsciously develop over a period of time. That process takes a lot of looking at one’s self and it often becomes very uncomfortable.
We often decide we are going to try harder to do this and that and a long time ago I decided I would try softer to do this and that in hopes of improving myself, my lot in life and how I got things done thus improving the life of those around me. So far it has worked for me.
Trying softer simply means being easier to get along with without compromising one’s self or one’s principles. Trying softer means being kinder to ones self and especially to others. When one is kinder other people tend to reflect or mirror back what they see or hear.
Trying softer means listening harder to what people are saying and understanding what they are saying or at least trying to understand them and their point of view. It does not necessarily mean agreeing with them because when two people always agree one of them isn’t necessary.
Trying softer does not mean not standing up for oneself, but standing up for oneself without being offensive, just firm and convincing. It means leaving benefits on the table for both parties.
Trying softer means it is okay to feel comfortable about trying out new things and accepting defeat graciously and that goes for accepting accolades in the same manner.
For a long time I lived Vince Lombardi’s saying, “Winning is not a sometime thing it is an all time thing.” Until I realized I could be a top gun even if I only hit home runs 51% of the time because the other 49% of the misses were not strikeouts they were learning lessons that helped me to develop my trying softer techniques.
I guess if I had to make only one New Year’s resolution it would be to continue to practice what I preach.
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