The advertising industry tends to frame the holidays in a way where indulgence is acceptable from Thanksgiving (the epitome of gluttony) to Christmas (cookies and egg nog, anyone?), and January is the time to right all of the wrongs you’ve been happily committing. The push to “start anew!” and “cleanse!” and “be a new you!” is overwhelming at best, not to mention quite unrealistic. Maybe you do hate yourself and want to become a “better person,” but most people, I think, are happy with themselves, and can recognize their “weaknesses” and know what it takes to strengthen themselves.

Personally, I know I always feel better when I exercise. I prefer walking or running outdoors, where I can marvel at the beautiful landscape that surrounds me, a landscape oft-forgotten amongst the hustle and bustle of the work-week. Being able to enjoy the outdoors not only makes me feel good, physically, but it also helps to mentally put things in perspective. The standard worries: money, deadlines, natural disasters, imagined health issues, fade into the sunset, whose colors make me realize that most of what is important in life is free, and fleeting. If I don’t make a priority to enjoy all that is right in my tiny little world, I am not truly enjoying life.

With that said, my resolution for 2010 and beyond is to focus on the positive, and when the negative thoughts and fears creep into my conscious (and they will), try my best to recognize that I am in control of my mind, and the limits exist only because I set them.