Every New Year million of people take on the task of setting forth resolutions for the comming year. Resolutions that range from the simplistic to the complex, from the mundane to the famulous, from the satirical to the serious.
Many of these resolutions take the form of promises to ourselves, others, or God.
Many of us seek sources for these resolutions; personal experiences, goals and aspirations failed or forgotten, literature, the bible, our heroes.
To push ourselves towards carrying out these resolutions we write them down or to put external pressure on our selves to keep us from backsliding we share these resolutions. We further endeavor to embrace the completion of these resolutions by embracing like minded people or philosphies that echo our efforts. We use the words or practices of these people and philosophies as inspiration.
The irony of New Years resolutions is that the process is practiced by everyone to a certain degree. The degree that it is practiced is strangly emphasized by the time of year, eventhough we make resolutions year round. To pressure ourselves, under the guise of ‘encouragement’ we embrace the use of inspiration.
So, every New Year, we are exposed to, or choose to expose others to, our resolutions and the accompanying inspirational messages that follow. As anyone on facebook can attest to, there is no better way to bombard our ‘freinds’ with these inspirations than Facebook. What used to be accomplished through cards in the mail, then a phone call and then e-mail, can now be accomplished by broadcasting them over the internet.
The problem is we are now afflicted with this sharing of inspirations (evidence of personal resolutions) on a daily basis. Resolutions have been popularized by the New Year, but in reality, have never been limited to to the New Year. We make resolutions throught the year, monthly, weekly, even daily. The unfortunate reality now is that we can support our personal resolutions on a daily basis by sharing our inspirational message with ease. No trip to the drugstore for an inspirational card, and no time need be spent on composing an original inspirational message. Its now just a google search, or a bookmarked web site, followed by a click and we have shared our inspiration with everyone who needs to share our commitment.
This does no harm. Nobody has to read them or be inspired by them. If it serves to keep someone, the ‘author’ or recipoent, on track then it is a possitive thing. We see it everyday and it does no harm, but please save us from that freind who can’t decide on an inspiration for the day or a signifigant moment. All wee need is one Facebook freind who insist on 10 inspirational messages every morning, or the one who plays catch-up with 30 inspirational messages whenever they miss a day. (Arn’t they the ones who always fret over you not responding to a particular inspiration or even menial post of theres?)
Having said all that I must confess that I suspect I to am guilty. Of course if you read what I posted you would realize that mine were different… more sincere, more inspiring, more to the point, not as prolific, an definatly important.
I’m just saying.
OK, instead of a New Years resolution, or a year ending/beginning New Years message, I propose a challenge. A year ending challenge to where or how you seek inspiration. Do you seek inspiration from sources that reafirm what you beleive? Or do you accept a chalenge to seek inspiration, in whatever form, from a source that you expect to disagree? Click here to accept the challenge.
GlennDL