New Year's Resolutions (post number 2 for today)

I remember having a discussion with some friends about the usefulness of New Year's Resoultions. They were saying that resolutions were pointless and they saw no use in them because of the fact that most resolutions are broken within 2 months. I can't say that I agree with them on that one. Although it is true that resolutions are broken almost right after they are made, I think they play an important role. The idea of resolutions exude hope, positivity, and excitement. With every new year rolling around, everyone naturally becomes excited about the new possibilities of the upcoming year and what it may bring. Even if they're broken almost instantly, I still think that resolutions give us some experience about what can block us from what we want to achieve. Also the small improvement that we did achieve through that short time of following a resolution serves as a small victory to be celebrated when you look back on it. Sometimes those small victories that you can celebrate make all the difference.

Anyhow, in the spirit of resolutions I wanted to post a couple things. There was a song in the 90's that was titled 'Everybody's free (to wear sunscreen)' by Baz Luhrmann. I'm not sure if anyone else remembers it, but they did play it on Power 92 a bunch when it first came out. It's always been an especially meaningful song to me because it just communicates things so well while being so simple. It's one of those songs I love to play on my iPod for my friends because of how powerful the message can be. I've pasted the lyrics below, I suggest listening to the video in a different window so you can get the whole effect:

'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)' by Baz Luhrmann

Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
Wear Sunscreen.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience…
I will dispense this advice, now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth;
oh nevermind; you will not  understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself, and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….
You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind;
the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy;
sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind; the race is long,
and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults;
if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…
the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives,
some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t,
maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t,
maybe you’ll divorce at 40,
maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…
what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much
or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance,
so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can,
don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it,
it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings, their your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get,
the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard;
live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander,
you too will get old and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young
prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse;
but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal,
wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Also real quick, I've thought about what I need to work on the most in for the upcoming year. I'd also like to challenge others in this by adding a twist to my resolution. My New Year's resolution is to not be late for anything for as long as I can. My idea is that if I can find any other people who are willing, we would make some kind of bet/wager on who can go on longest without being late to something in the new year (much like the Seinfeld 'bet'). I think it's just a cool and fun way to work on something I'm sure that everyone could use help on.