don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

The early part of summer seems a strange time to write about celebrating New Year’s eve, in the morning yet—and on a daily basis! Nonetheless, I think a good case can be made for doing so given the benefits -- and at such little cost in time and energy. New Year’s Eve is celebrated for many things, but an occasion for effective resolutions is definitely not one of them. Not only are resolutions made around the occasion of January 1st generally not kept, but those who make such resolutions are almost always ill prepared for such an important activity. They don’t have enough practice at it, nor do they take it seriously enough! I wish to suggest a new custom for our society—more frequent celebrations of the New Year or, better yet, the 365 new days we get annually!

Making a resolution, or several, at the start of the year is, after all, not so ambitious OR imaginative. On the other hand, the making of daily resolutions, especially if they invite a bit of stock-taking and reflection upon one’s good fortune and opportunities, is something worth doing every day. I propose we celebrate the occasion of new days every morning, in a positive and fun, ritual manner. It can be done with the whole family, if you have a whole family, or parts thereof, as appropriate in our diverse society.

The celebration could be a bit different each day, or have features everyone seems to enjoy if others are involved. Examples might be, “Today I will give everyone who has the good fortune to encounter me my best smile.” Or, “today I will be positive to an amazing degree,” or “I shall take responsibility for my actions and results throughout the day.”

Well, I’m sure you can dream up some better examples than this. Send them along—I could use a few ideas myself for celebrating each morning. So far, I'm pleased to note, I have not had any difficulty recognizing fortunate realities that richly warrant a little rejoicing of a ritual nature each day.

A wellness lifestyle requires discipline, responsibility, perspective and a mindset focused on excellence. While it is worth taking seriously, at the same time you don’t want to be overly resolute or grim about it. Try to add humor and playfulness to your daily morning resolution for this variation on the new year’s celebration.

A wellness lifestyle is good for you and invigorating, and entails limitless advantages for your family, your mate, significant others, friends, co-workers and, as we have seen from reading newspapers or following events on television and observing the consequences of its absence, your country and the world. Therefore, wellness itself can and probably should be celebrated daily in the form of little resolutions to pursue one aspect of it or another.

Wellness is not about health as much as it is about life -- a life that is challenging, satisfying and meaningful. Celebrate each day the fact that your existence is on track, that you are resolved anew to seek to approach your splendid potentials, to make the most of your genetic possibilities, to respect and enjoy your environment and much that is good and fortunate all around you. Surely a daily resolution of some kind, even if just an acknowledgment to yourself of your commitment to artful self-management, will add a positive force to your day. As Homer put it concerning “a faultless body and a blameless mind” be “wise to resolve and patient to perform.”

So, a toast to you and best wishes for a happy new day—every day.

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the PHYSICAL DOMAIN under the skill area of adaptations and challenges. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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