New Year’s Suggestions

This was the 63rd New Year’s celebration for me even though I don’t remember the first four or five.

At my age the celebrating is minimal at best which is fine with me.

As the new year began I’m sure that many of you thought about the resolutions you made to start out 2015. Maybe you want to lose a few pounds so your clothing fits a little less snug.

Or maybe this is the year to quit smoking. Maybe the gym is calling your name and you want to get a little stronger and get those lungs and heart in tip top shape.

That is all well and good if there aren’t any hiccups. Keeping resolutions are very difficult and most people fail because they forget the real reasons they set out on this path to improving one’s life. The failure often sets in when the dessert tray comes around at a restaurant; or you think you need to calm down and only a cigarette will help, or you pull a muscle because stretching is so lame!

These are all understandable reasons for failure because life is a difficult challenge and having a vice is some sort of trademark you’ve been able to enjoy. Of course there are a few people in your life that care about you and want you to stick around for a few years.

I say, forget about those resolutions and listen to my suggestions because suggestions are things you can look at and say, “I think I can do that!”

The first suggestion is to be a bit more upbeat and be a good teammate, co-worker or boss. Start every day with a smile on your face. If you see someone without a smile give them yours!

Don’t be afraid to say good morning to everyone and thank everyone that lends you a helping hand no matter how much help was given. And if a co-worker asks for help do your best in helping them complete the task. You will feel good about it with a good attitude!

As an athlete let your teammates know when they made a great play even if they made that play against you. Great teammates encourage each other and that encouragement can lead to victories. I’ve seen it happen to many fine teams.

Attend an athletic event, concert or play that your niece, nephew or friend’s kids are involved. It is fun to watch young kids grow up and participate in extra-curricular activities. It just might be the cheapest entertainment you’ve ever been to but can be priceless at the same time.

And let the kids know how much you enjoyed watching them. They need to know at a young age that friends and family are a very important part of being in a community.

Give your best effort each and every day because people are depending on you. As an employee, parent, an athlete or a volunteer there are plenty of people around you that expect you to be there when needed. Payments or rewards vary for each job.

Sometimes you give more than you get in return and that’s not a bad thing unless you think it is. There is nothing more valuable than donating time to an organization. Unfortunately there are too many people that want to get paid for any little thing they do. The reward is in the interaction with others and accomplishing something for the greater good.

Do you think the Ritz Theater would be open today if it wasn’t for the great volunteers that donated their time, energy and sweat to make it a thing of beauty and enjoyment to watch first run movies? Of course it wouldn’t.

Are you a sports fan? There are a bunch of people that work with young kids to teach them how to play football, basketball and baseball in our communities.

There are also several referees and umpires that help out when they can to make sure the games are played by the rules. These people are very valuable to youngsters that are learning to compete in organized sports.

So here are a few New Year’s suggestions for you: You can be a great employee and co-worker; community member, volunteer, coach or referee and make a huge difference.

Give it a try and maybe it will help you lose weight or even quit smoking. If nothing else it will certainly make you feel better.