In the 1960’s there was a comedian by the name of Norm Crosby, who had an interesting routine. His prominent approach was to mix and match words in common phrases to tell stories with a big twist. These were skewed by using terms that had multiple meanings, thereby changing them into comical items. I thought this was fun because it could take a routine set of words and spice them up, give multiple meanings, contradict others, and so on. As years passed, I learned that not many people have an appreciation for this developed skill. Those who did see value in this method understood many a joke and fun time in the otherwise mundane times of life.
About a decade later, my Uncle Joe taught me that much of our English language was developed from the root language of Latin. Although this older language was foreign to me, it held the meanings to words we have established for use today. Well since this time, I have noticed the difference in the actual meaning versus the way we interpret or habitually use words today. As it is now the beginning of the new year of 2011, the word ‘resolution’ is tossed about generously.
For the New Year many people make resolutions to change their behavior, typically these do not last but a few weeks at best. Of the estimated 10 to 15 percent of people who keep their resolutions for more than a few months, the reward is not only the resolution itself, but also the additional pay-off of knowing they have an ability to follow through on their goals. This singular focus of improving ourselves is the norm, but a broader target onto others deserves equal attention also. Whatever the direction of intent, all serve well for those who pursue their resolutions through to their conclusion.
When I hear use of the term resolution/s, I think of the word’s root, resolve or further to solve. This sheds a little different light on how it typically appears to me, not just to change for the better but to solve an issue. Solutions (resolutions) are made on all levels of life, from attempting to fix a personal issue, to looking at more general issues such as ‘global warming’. They all contain a desire for solution of problematic situations. With this wide array of situations, I am lead to ask if the creation of a resolution may be more often simply a gesture meant to appease our consciences than to truly take care of an issue.
Do we really believe in what we want to solve? For example, if we are to balance our bank accounts each month as soon as the statements are available, do we actually make the plan to do so as well as insure our motivation is aimed to complete the exercise? Having a plan to succeed is as paramount as having the desire to fulfill the plan. The same can be said of the plans to reconcile the nation’s budgetary issues, or better defining the policy for immigration. No matter the questions we choose, are the plans thorough and set up for success? I believe each of us can see how critical our choices are at the beginning of the process to resolve any issue.
The ultimate point I bring to the front here is; ‘how we approach the times in our lives when we choose to make changes for resolution creates firm statements of who we are and how we operate.’ Our identity is linked to the ways we approach these opportunities and/ or their successful completion. My encouragement to anyone attempting a resolution is to take enough time at the beginning to make a plan that has a high probability for success. In doing this, it potentially allows us to see how taking this time to focus on success makes the chance of enacting it all the easier. So let us all make resolutions ad infinitum with the intent to have as much success as anyone may imagine. Bring on our futures and our choices in identity. Happy New Year!
No comments:
Post a Comment