10 New Year Resolutions

Over the last few days, when the very random Nepali power cuts schedule allowed me to do so, I scrolled through my Facebook news feed and was eagerly submerged by an Ocean of Love and Compassion, due to the new-year frenetic behaviours and new resolutions.
Therefore, I realised that if people could somehow think and act this way all the time, we would be obviously living in a very different world.
Moreover, I've always been fascinated about the global assumption that people have to wait for January 1st to make new resolutions.
We are so alienated by our cherished Gregorian calendar that we don't seem to realise that we can (and actually should) make new resolutions anytime we feel like it.
In my opinion, this approach is applicable to all the main events that we are taught and told to observe throughout the year, such as Valentine's day, birthday celebrations or Christmas.
Why would we have to await a special day to celebrate someone or something, to share our love or to offer presents?

In fact, we seem to set boundaries to our behaviour all the time, and quite paradoxically and inexplicably, we tend to emphasise these behavioural patterns when it comes to doing "good" things to others...or to ourselves. It somehow sounds like a masochistic approach because we forget that boundaries are conventions imposed by our direct and indirect environment, and that we can easily overcome them if we truly want to.
Furthermore, we forget that we can make new resolutions every single day, as long as they are relevant to us, and not to our neighbour, because of the very uniqueness of each personality type (also set by our environment and by our past and present respective experiences).
We could even go further into this analysis by saying that we should probably start making specific new resolutions every day, if we truly wish to improve ourselves as well as the world we're going to give to our Children.
Resolutions can be fun, original and creative and don't have to be a burden. Actually, we should make new resolutions whenever we feel ready to assume them, and not before or after...or because surrounding people make new resolutions!

Here is a list of 10 suggestions of resolutions that we can make to enhance our lives, in the short or longer term. There is no particular order among them apart from the fact that you should probably set your goals prior to doing anything else!.
I guarantee you that you might be very positively surprised by their direct and indirect effects they’ll have on you!

1) Set realistic goals

Setting realistic goals is a fundamental first step in order to improve our lives.

Of course we all have dreams, but they need to be achievable at some stage. Some believe that dreams must remain dreams but I totally disagree with this statement. Then of course, dreams are quite often mistaken for goals, or vice-versa, but the terminology should be the same; setting goals that are reachable, not too high but still better too high than too low.
Consequently, by prioritizing (another very important concept) and then achieving some of your goals (or “dreams”), you’ll enhance your self-confidence and move on and forward by setting some more goals…all the way towards the ones that you might have thought as unreachable at some point!

However, setting “realistic” goals doesn’t mean they have to seem “rational” to your environment. Everything will be fine in the end as long as you listen to your Heart. If you feel ready for doing something, go for it regardless of what society or your fellow people think of it and of how they will judge you. It takes sometimes a tremendous effort to reach a goal but it is always well worth it as the journey is even more important than the destination.

Don’t forget that, as Marx Twain said; when looking back in 20 years’ time, you will more regret the things you didn’t do than the ones you did!

2)Add a "Fun for Me" activity to your weekly schedule

More than setting realistic goals, start something new that you’ve always wanted to do and you never got the “time” or opportunity to give it a go. It might be playing an instrument, painting, learning a new language, doing sports, yoga or meditation. Something that makes you feel good, and that balances and slows down your body and mind.

We tend to accept the procrastination of these potential activities because we think we don’t have the proper time or we’re too tired after a long day at work.

Well, if you have a look at your weekly timetable, you’ll see that you have plenty of free slots and “time wasters”. Regarding the latter, TV is definitely one of them (See resolution 7). There are many techniques and strategies that can help you save time for yourself without omitting to enjoy the moment of course (see resolution 10).

3)Start cooking and enjoy it

In my opinion, the whole concept of cooking has been neglected for a long time and this is very much connected with the negative impact that the current societal and economic model has on us. We've put it in the same category as cleaning or doing the washing-up.

Cooking is a fantastic approach to select and control what you eat. When you purchase your fruits and vegetables at the local market, you are less likely to eat pesticides and GMOs, and it is always a great pleasure to honour and consume fresh products coming directly from local and sustainable farms.

We are oblivious to the humane values of the concept and then try to make it special every now and then, when we come to realise that it actually gathers people and allows us to have a good time with our friends or family...or even sometimes with complete “strangers”.
Meanwhile, the good old freshly homemade food jars on the shelves or in the fridge have been replaced by frozen readymade items, in order to save as much time as we can, so that we can brainwash ourselves by watching TV or playing video games.

In these modern days of collapsing economy and increasing smoke screen of pseudo-technological entertainment, we tend to scrupulously forget that eating is one of the things we do the most in our lives after sleeping. We seem to blindly ignore the fact that “what we eat is what we are” and to unwarily assume that working and therefore making more money is more important than what we do approximately 3 times a day all our life.
I guess that travelling without money like I have done is one of the rare exceptions to the rule, and the other one is probably the monks and yogis who can feed from photons for years, but not everyone has yet reached this type of spiritual enlightenment.

In a more rational and scientific analysis, it is assumed that what we eat is building our cells and therefore our body. Considering that it is our vehicle for this lifetime, I think that it is quite well worth showing a minimum of respect to it, by ingesting freshly made meals, using organic products, instead of industrial processed food, despite of the fact that it might take a bit more time and money.
It should not be just an option but an irreplaceable priority, and working more hours in order to gain more purchasing power, because of some distorted economic conjuncture, is definitely not an excuse.

We have to urge the need of getting back to our natural true selves in order to embrace the paradigm shift that we are currently experiencing and eating healthy is namely one of its key elements.

4)Explore the World

“Exploring the world” has necessarily something to do with geographical aspects but it doesn’t mean travelling the world on such a broad scale. Nevertheless, if you can make it this way, go for it.

The present concept is relative to the fact of being in touch and harmony with what we truly need, our very own essence, which is Nature and People. If you think about it, we always refer to our best moments in terms of places and people, but eventually it is all about the folks we meet on our Way.
Meeting new people is a fundamental aspect of our well-being and we often tend to forget about it. Indeed, if you are at your dream place surrounding by assholes, you won’t be able to enjoy it that much, although the opposite concept can be very true.
Furthermore, our society tends to induce “sedentarism”, whereas our soul is nomadic, and that’s something we have to deal with on a permanent basis.

Nevertheless, meeting new people and cultures expand our open-mindedness and awareness towards to the world.
So don’t fear the Unknown. Your mind is craving stability whereas your soul is striving for Freedom. If you do hear little voices in your head, it is because both “entities” are arguing all the time. Always listen to the one that seems the more “irrational” to the eyes of society.

And don’t forget, if you travel far enough, you’ll meet Yourself. It doesn’t have to be far in geographical terms as the exploration process is usually more internal than external, or in other words, more inwards than outwards.

5)Question Everything

Why?
Simply because most of our behavioural and psychological patterns are based on our assumptions and Knowledge...or Ignorance.

What if reincarnation was scientifically provable through quantum physics?
What if the Darwinian Theory of Evolution was completely wrong?
What if the whole Big-Bang Theory was completely wrong?
What if the information written in our history books was irrelevant and erroneous, and if the Truth was hidden for us not to “wake up” to our real and infinite potential?

Would we behave differently if we could assume all this as being True? Probably yes.
Would the world thus be a better place filled with Love and Compassion? Probably yes too.

Thinking and reading critically is something that we tend to forget. Yes, human beings are strange creatures often struck by amnesia.
Most people think that “criticizing” is “wrong”, because when they do so, they usually have no background and relevant information with regards to the discussed topic.
No, questioning conventional assumptions and beliefs is not “wrong”, as if it were, we would probably be still living in a pre-Copernican geocentric system, in which the Earth is flat as well as the centre of the Universe.
In fact, we’ve been moving “forward” in terms of technological and knowledgeable advancements thanks to geniuses who challenged the established institutions and proved them Wrong throughout history.

From primary school to University, we are most of the time taught and told WHAT to think and not HOW to think. In addition to that, we are being brainwashed to the point of assuming that even thinking critically is wrong.
No, we do have to question everything but we should do it in a very open-minded way if we want to open new Doors of Perception.

Be Artistic & Creative

Being artistic and creative is a fundamental aspect of our inner peace and balance despite of the fact that most people tend to procrastinate or even eliminate it from their lives.
Art is everywhere and can be considered as a Universal language, beyond our perception of time, beliefs and assumptions.
There is an energitical resonance in our creativity. People and entire civilizations have been creative since time immemorial and this is no coincidence.
For instance, the Ying and the Yang, in Chinese mythology, is the ultimate concept of female and male energy. In modern day’s neuroscience, it is proven that the left hemisphere of the brain represents our male energy (the rational and greedy mind), whereas the right hemisphere represents the female energy (creativity and spiritual awareness).

However, people often confuse the energy frequency with the gender (or sex) of a human being. It has very little to compare. You can be a man with a lot of female energy or a woman with a lot of male energy. I believe that it is the female energy which is one of the key-elements we need to incorporate in our lives in order to heal the world, and that is including our creative side.

So whether it is through music, drawing, photography, painting, cooking or writing, don’t hesitate to exhibit your arty side!

Stop watching TV

TV is a Time Void. It doesn’t mean that everything on TV is “bad” (even though 95% is, my opinion), but it does devour your time as well as a whole atmosphere around you without even noticing it. The media and most of the channels are owned by governments and corporations, therefore irrelevant if we want to obtain credible information. So if you want some relevant and objective information, go to the internet and take some time to do your own research (see resolution 5).

What is more, the whole advertising system should be banned. Commercials are just infantile and degrading to what human beings truly are.
Have you ever noticed how TV absorbs and kills the whole atmosphere of a place as soon as it is turned on, regardless of the context and of the rubbish that is broadcast on it?

You don’t need a TV, unless you REALLY want to watch a film or documentary on a bigger screen…which leads us to the next resolution.

Stop consuming

Do you REALLY need the new IPhone 5 or is it just a new “toy” to impress your friends?
Do you REALLY need a fancy car or is it because you want to show off your increasing societal status ?

Our whole consumer society is based on a concept named “planned obsolescence”, which means the goods you constantly buy are designed to fail. We live in an era where modern day’s technology should be able to design things that last forever (even in terms of clothing).
It just doesn’t. Because if it did so, it wouldn’t generate any profit, in an “economy” that permanently and exponentially needs to grow…and to collapse at some stage for it cannot grow anymore (see resolution 9 and resolution 5 again).

The more you buy, the more you participate in this system. If you stop buying and consuming, the whole system will collapse sooner than later. Also, you will broadly contribute to the extinction of poverty, which is an avoidable but necessary concept in our current societal model. Since 50% of the worldwide population live with less than 2 dollars a day, and that one innocent child dies from hunger every single second, you should maybe think twice before buying new “toys” you don’t really need.

For the bravest ones, you can even start cropping your vegetables and produce your own energy. Then, if you get to the point of sharing whatever you produce with your surroundings, you’ll be actually triggering the birth of a very interactive and fruitful local community! In the short term, at both an individual and collective level, this will help to shift towards a more rewarding and fair societal model for everyone.

Stop worrying about money

Most people work all their lives, 5 days a week at least, in order to make money, to save money, to consume money, to squander money, and so on. Indeed, we have to find a way to survive amongst the permanent horrors of this world.

However, when you ask people whether they know how money is created and how it circulates, they go blank. By doing your own study (what I tend to call “necessary personal homework”), you will discover that 97% of the money supply of the planet doesn’t really exist and is created out of thin air.
Therefore, by generating more loans and mortgages, you tend to encourage this obsolete economic model to rob you even more via the concept of interests.

Moreover, the global debts cannot be repaid simply because money is a debt in itself, as soon as it comes out of the Federal Reserves. Due to this fact, the more money you inject into the system to compensate the debts, the more debts you will create, and so forth until you reach the ceiling and you have to go back down again…violently.

I believe that if a majority of people were fully aware of this absurdity, there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.

What can we do at our humble individual level?

• Stop consuming (see resolution 8); just buy what you truly need.

• Stop creating loans and mortgages; just buy what you truly can.

• Start exchanging services with your friends, family and/or neighbours, and you will realise that are plenty of alternatives in order not to use money.

• Don’t forget you don’t need much to be happy and the rest is superficial, it just comes and goes…and so does money.

Enjoy the Moment

In our sick Western society, we have a huge tendency to worry about time passing by. People often get stuck with their past and project themselves incessantly into the future.

As a result, by doing so, we forget to enjoy the only thing that truly exist, which is the Now.
Of course, our past experiences forge our sense of “self” in the present but there is a difference between referring to them in order to enhance the present moment or to feel stuck with them.
Also, there is a difference between emitting some possibilities or ideas about the future (see resolutions 1 & 2) and expecting too much of them, therefore leading us to disappointment.
Whether we want it or not, our past is definitely ended and our future doesn’t exist, hence is pure speculation. Of course, if you work on a regular basis, you are more likely to go to work tomorrow or the day after, but this concept is not relevant in the long run.

So start fully enjoying and accepting each moment for what it is and you’ll realise that you feel more satisfied about your life. People who feel miserable want to feel so, often to attract attention on them, and are “chronophages”, as they tend to feed on your time and energy. Get rid of them ASAP if you have any of these specimens around you.

As the Buddha said; “Happiness occurs when what you think, say and do are in harmony.”

Consequently, if you start thinking positively, it is very likely that what you do will incarnate positivity in your life as well!