Resolutions

[breakinglight11]

It occurred to me yesterday that I hadn't made any New Year's resolutions yet. It's kind of a silly tradition, but it's nice to set goals for yourself to work towards, I guess.

Last year's resolutions were to learn how to dress more stylishly and to be less of a grouch. I think I did okay on the dressing one. Not so much on the grouch thing. I think in many ways I just traded some of the anger for depression. I may be slightly less angry, but it's probably because that emotional energy is more often directed into being sad. :-P

So, I guess in no particular order, some things I plan to do/try to do in 2011:

1. Make some professional improvement. I am not going to define this specifically, but I am not satisfied with my current just-okay situation. Have already begun some more serious efforts; we'll see how this goes.

2. Get back into healthy eating and exercise habits. Jared and I have already started eating better; let's see if I can add regular workouts in there too.

3. Write, cast, direct, and put on Merely Players.

4. Write, cast, and run The Stand at Intercon and Festival

5. Help write and run Resonance at Intercon and Festival

6. Make certain that Larpercalia this year is the best Festival it can be

7. Spend time with my parents. They need me right now, and I love them.

8. Be nicer to be people. I'm a bit tired of people thinking I'm a great big meanie, but it's probably my own fault. Keeping the temper in check would probably be a good place to start.

9. Develop some better stress management techniques. I guess I don't have any truly bad reactions-- I don't drink, I don't overeat, I don't hurt myself -- but what I'm doing isn't really enough. My tension and emotional upset level is getting out of hand.

10. Learn how to be hopeful. I really don't know how.

Comments

[darkoni]

I know I don't know you that well. Specifically, I don't know you well enough to know what you do on a day to day basis or how you interact with others, but I'd like to make a suggestion that has helped me over time.

Let yourself enjoy little moments and think about storing those feelings, like you are saving them in a cupboard or something to be taken out and eaten later. Leftovers, if you will. It's not a perfect metaphor, but it can be helpful to suddenly relive something in your head and remember how it made you feel. That moment can help diffuse an anger buildup or depression. It might not eliminate it completely, but it might lessen it.

Over time, as you keep doing it, the lessened anger or depression moments will ease the pressure off you. It will feed into itself and allow more moments to store. It is a gradual thing, but it has worked for me at times.

And yes, being nicer to people always helps. Sure, people will be nice to you because they are your friends and they want you to be happy, but you're likely to feel better about yourself if you are someone helping to cause them joy too. It's a matter of deciding that you want to be a cause for joy in the life of others and not discomfort or pain. Things will happen. They always do. But it's about making the choice to be a positive force in the lives of others.

I like my friends to be happy, even if they may not think of me as a friend or barely think of me at all. So, I try to help at times. It is what I have trained myself to do. I feel like a better person for it. It might work for you too. It also might not. I cannot claim to be an expert.