Two thousand eight! 2008! MMVIII! Breathe it in – it always goes down smooth. And although the new year comes only one-third of the way through our school year – hindering us from real change – don’t disregard this early stage of 2008 as just “winter term.” I know the weather is diuretic. I know it is light out for only a few hours per day. I know all you really want to do is sit in front of the TV and eat your feelings. I know because I want to do the same thing. But listen, people: 2008 has some serious potential, and instead of fighting the stardom it might bring, I plan to contribute to it, and you should too.
I can feel it in my bones – as I’m sure you do too – and 2008 feels like it is going to be solid. First, just let go of 2007, whether it was “wicked smart” or a total abomination. It is simply over, and there is nothing you can do to remedy any regrets. So stop looking back on 2007. Good riddance, I say! If it was good, who cares? Stop bragging. The birth of a new year is more than just an excuse for another overrated party and a new Far Side calendar. It truly is the time for resurgence and reinvention.
Now I don’t want to get preachy or overly idealistic, but 2008 has a lot to offer us, both intellectually and materially – like the Olympics and The Dark Knight. First, I suggest evaluating explicitly what it is you want for yourself this year – just this year – and not about next year, five years from now, and beyond. I admit that I too have a tendency to dwell, over-analyze and unrealistically approach conflicts and duties I face. Just remember, you can’t move mountains, and the only things you genuinely have control over are your mind and body.
True, New Year’s resolutions usually hover over themes of weightloss, quitting a vice, better grades, and other relative trivialities. While nixing cigarettes and dropping five pounds are great and admirable goals, try to visualize the best version of yourself, both physically and mentally, and you’ll realize the reinvigoration that you envision takes more than a couple extra gym days. Your goals will seek, find and ultimately complement each other, but your body and mind is a unit, and if one is dragging ass, the other can’t survive. And I’m only giving this advice with such enthusiasm because this New Year’s was the first time I ever really felt rejuvenated. I traditionally celebrated New Year’s past with indifference and an unexplainable hint of bitter jealousy.
But you know what? I became a vegetarian, and began my official training for the Eugene Marathon. I too strive for a Brad Pitt-in-Fight Club-like body. And as I leave you in a haze of potential new-age psychobabble, just heed these two simple nuggets of advice: One, love yourself first and most. You can’t truly love anyone if you can’t love yourself. And two, continuously expand your comfort zone, and challenge yourself, even if the challenge seems small.
Godspeed, 2008!
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Resolve to meet this new year with open arms
Daily Emerald
January 10, 2008
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