A SOMEWHAT LEWD-MOUTHED WIT  once said : New Year’s Resolutions, like a woman’s hymen, are made to be broken.

For centuries , man had tried to change the world- only to find out that the only sure fire way to change the world is to change oneself. What others  do- many times, are out of our control . We can become the Change that we want in the world.

That is why , it has become a global habit for many  to endeavor to make New Year’s Resolutions- to articulate the changes that one wants to make on oneself.

We can all relate to Albrecht Powell, a Pittsburgh expert on this matter as he outlines the most common resolutions made and then largely broken. Here are some of them.

Spend more time with family and friends. This is the irony of man using all his time and energy on a business and career only to find out that he no longer has the time and the  energy for the very people he had worked for: family and friends.

Fit in Fitness. This becomes imperative in a stress-full environment where people die earlier than their time or incapacitated to fulfill their obligations due to premature diseases.

Tame the Bulge.  He is a liar who says he/she is not thrilled to be called handsome or beautiful. And today’s standards frown on the fat no matter how fabulously rich one can be. We therefore  live in a Diet society and everyone dies trying.

Quit Smoking. Only a smoker can explain fully the pleasure there is in smoking and why one cannot kick the habit. Ourselves we quit smoking in one single strong immediate stop- hardly to smoke ever again. Installment smoking withdrawals do not work,

Enjoy Life (Pa) More.  Ours is a goal-driven society who create material measures to gauge a man’s success. In the process one loses the pleasure of “smelling the roses” along the way.  A pity -since happiness is a journey- not an inn (destination).

Quit Drinking. An alcoholic is not necessarily one who you see flounder on the floor and throws up due to excessive drinking. An alcoholic is one who cannot let a day pass without having a drink. It has become endemic to the system. Willpower is mostly needed  -although a damaged liver can be hundredfold effective  deterrence than any lectures on the evil of drinking.

Get Out of Debt.  Everyone harasses himself to death just to be completely out of debt. While at the outset that appears laudable- debt is not the equivalent of Lucifer. What is needed is balance so that life goes on in natural cadence even with the existence of debt. The biggest company like San Miguel Corporation has the biggest debt. Don’t fret.

Learn Something New. This is a  laudable goal. Career change. Learning a new sport.

Asking the kids to make one more high tech .Zumba dancing, Be Karate Kid in your own mind,

Variety is the spice of life. Don’t get a  New second wife though- is is pressure-packed and tight on the pocket- unless she is your Sugar Mommy. Then you could get diabetes, as well.

Helping Others. When one is depressed or unhappy- helping others actually alleviates the malady because it draws focus away from one self into others.  It is a great therapy. Remember the phrase – it is always better to give than to receive. Even the destitute can still have  something free to give to others- their smile and their time.

Get Organized. A disorganized life is very stressful because one has to allocate finite resources to an almost infinitesimal demand for everything. The cliche is : He who fails to Plan, plans to Fail. Do not do for tomorrow what you can do today.  “Duty first before pleasure” is a phrase reeking with meaning to organized men. Finally.

A good friend shared a gem of a thought: “Devote yourself to prayers with a thankful heart. When you focus on the things you do not have, you begin to undervalue the blessings that God has given you. The feelings of resentment begin to build up. It can happen in our prayers when we ONLY make requests. Take a moment and think through the ways you are blessed and thank God for them.When you realize the amount of blessings in your life, you truly feel loved by God.”

Then you will begin to love others as well. Because love begets love.

Let us  always have a grateful, thankful prayer to God for this  year. The Happiness Map only requests each of us to list every night – three little or big things you should be thankful for during the day -and therefore  be Happy about.

Let us be a Happy Nation. Good wants us that way. Prosperity  does not only have one meaning. You can be rich with Joy. (not the woman). SHALOM.

For comments: email to dejarescobingo@yahoo.com or bohol-rd@mozcom.com