Well, it’s a new year, so Happy New Year to ya! With all the excitement those words bring, come a whole crop of promises to ourselves and everyone else. You can call them promises, resolutions, good intentions, just whatever really. I would just like to take out all the fancy syllables and call them fibs. Nah, just kidding…for all intents and purposes, these are a good way of keeping us in check. They remind us of the people we were last year, which tugs on our consciences to become better people this year – which also lends itself to the question of, “Just how bad were we last year?” Most of us don’t even want to know the answer to that question Truth is, if you start askin’ around…you probably won’t like the answer The assumption we always have to make about ourselves is that we’re okay. Could do better, but we’re okay. For myself, I didn’t even know what Auld Lang Syne was til I looked it up. Took me several tries to find the answer because I spelled it wrong a few times before auto correct even recognized what I was looking for. Now it makes perfect sense. I have now given you the spelling – you can look it up for yourself. Anyway, there are just a few little snippets I would love to pass on to you. Sort of food for thought as you are out and about in the coming months, but prior to your self-bashing before the next year starts. Some of you may relate, some may not, but maybe these will kick up your awareness in this new year, and not so much focus on all the negative about yourself in that last one. Oh I don’t mean being nicer to people (frankly I am givin’ it all I have now!), nor am I talking about looking in the mirror and repeating some proclamations that I just can’t even say with a straight face. Nope! I’m bringing a whole new perspective to the world. I know you are riddled with anticipation, so I’m gonna share it with you. OK (noisemaker please…) One item always popular on the agenda is weight. Isn’t it a standard resolution to want to lose weight? Well, I’m gonna change things up a wee mite. I am a bit of a 4×4 and I do need to lose an ounce or two, but I’ve decided instead of making weight loss my mantra for the year, I am going to change my outlook on the whole thing. I’m going to help others see it the way I do. How you may ask? Well, when I go shopping this year, I may need to ask for a bigger size in something, right? Lord knows the older I get, the more yoga pants are my friend. P.S. I find it funny everyone wears yoga pants now. It’s the same as sweat pants. Not many of us are out there doin’ some yoga, and most of us that wore sweats weren’t doing much of that from a workout, we were throwin’ them on to go grab a pizza or a bucket of chicken. Don’t get me started on the term “tights”! Anyway back to my shopping. From now on, if I try jeans on that are a pinch snug, I’m going to need to ask for a larger size BUT…I’m throwing the word, “slim” on the end of it. “Excuse me, ma’am…do you work here? Ok good. Could you possibly see if you have these in an XL Slim in the back? Great, thanks.” What? We had those designations when we were kids, didn’t we? Remember, pants come in slims and regulars right? I think they have avoided the word “husky” because it lends itself to an unappealing description of ourselves…we don’t need that. It’s a new year after all! I think all pants should be called a slim. Doesn’t that make all of us feel just a little bit better – in with the new I say! My ankles aren’t even slims, but I bet I would feel they are if I went to buy socks and the package read, “6-10 slim” on them. Yes, I’ll take 20. You know this is all in fun Truly though, my own philosophy for the new year or new day or new minute, is just try to be a better person than the one you were the day before and for everyone’s sake…try to be intuitive enough about yourself to recognize that we should all strive for that in ourselves. It may make us look inward for correction instead of outward for blame. Again, Happy New Year! May all your negatives in the new year be slim. May your love, health, wealth, laughter and dreams be husky!