I guess it’s that time of year again. You know, where we make all kinds of New Year’s Resolutions that we know we will never keep: resolutions like losing weight, drinking less, exercising more and not having as many turtle sundays. Yada, yada, yada. It seems to me that most New Year’s resolutions go in one year and out the other.
I thought I would try to list a few resolutions that you could actually keep. Here are a few that you might consider…
Take A Walk.
Did you know that the simple act of taking a walk around the block once a day can add years to your life? And think about it, you might meet some interesting people along the way.
Get Social.
This one is sorta linked to the one above. The simple act of getting out there, meeting new people and just hanging out can add a lot to your mental health. Someone recently told me that he had difficulty meeting new friends here in the park. There are many groups that gather nightly in the rec hall playing cards and bingo and generally misbehaving. And there is always an empty seat at the table.
Learn Something New
I guess this one is kind of linked to the one above. Get out there! Try a little shuffle board or fling a bean bag at something. Challenge Earl to a lively game of pickleball. You are always welcome and there are any number of people willing to help. Theresa would love to get you started on a game of Chicken Foot!
Tune Down Social Media.
Studies show that we are way too tethered to our iPads or phones. Try going a whole day “off line” once in a while. This one is difficult. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve gone “social media-less” and then I hear a phone ring and I try to answer the TV remote.
Practice Kindness.
How about making a resolution to do one nice thing for someone each and every single day? You know like letting someone cut in ahead of you in traffic or helping someone elderly unload their grocery cart at the Walmart? And if someone does something nice for you, acknowledge it and pay it forward.
And finally… Clear Out Clutter.
A few years back my wife and I were considering a move from one house to another. We sent (and I am not exaggerating here) 5 pickup trucks of stuff to Goodwill, the Restore Store and the dump. We discovered that we liked our house so much that we ended up not moving! The point is that we surround ourselves with so much stuff that we can feel overwhelmed and sometimes immobile. I promise that you will be pleased with how you feel.
My personal New Year’s resolution is to stop procrastinating. But I don’t want to rush into it. Maybe I’ll start working on that tomorrow.
The real game doesn’t start until the fourth quarter.
Annelise Medina, Los Angeles
I take it to mean that you are never out of time,
and it is never too late to make a comeback.
MEET THE AUTHOR ✍️
Fellow Whisper Creeker Greg Stangl comes to us from the great state of Wisconsin. He and his wife Colleen spend summers on Lake Wisconsin and enjoy the leisurely winter months here in our little paradise together with their beautiful Springer Spaniels Isabella Rosalini and Sophia Loren.
Greg is a professional photographer, speaker and writer who not only owned a photography studio for 40 years, but also taught college courses and lectured on the subject in 35 states and 7 countries.
Greg’s other passion is writing. He has published works in 10 national magazines and also authored workbooks employed in photography and marketing. Whisper Creeker News is both honored and excited for Greg to share his creative writing talents with us as well!
ENJOY ‘THE STANGL ANGLE” BLOG ARTICLES AS THEY’RE POSTED EVERY SUNDAY!
