FALL RESOLUTIONS

By Chambers Miller

W.E. INSPIRE

For some people the new year begins at a dimly lit party, champagne glass in hand and a brushing of lips at midnight. But for me, starting over has always aligned with that changing of leaves and pulling out of sweaters. The smell of a fresh pair of sneakers and butterflies in my stomach the night before the first day of school.

I have broken every new year’s resolution that I’ve ever attempted to make and I attribute this to my inability to buy into the idea that anything changes with the turning of a calendar year. More likely it is the result of a deep rooted habit of procrastination but for the sake of my pride that’s something I’m choosing to overlook.

I think humans are made to change and adapt, it is coded in our DNA but the decision to alter our habits and living styles doesn’t have to be a dramatic one. The beginning of a new school year and of a new season offers an opportunity to ease into change in ways that January 1st does not. When September arrives there will not be family members bombarding you with questions about what your resolutions are, there will not be ads on social media telling you that 2023 is the perfect chance to lose those 15 pounds like you’ve always wanted to. There will be other noise and distractions because as is the way of life, but as you’re preparing lunch boxes, stocking up on pencils, or evaluating your fall wardrobe, lean into the possibility for change. For freshness, for the chance to better yourself and the world around you.

Instead of making radical promises to take a chopping block to the aspects of your life that come across as less than ideal (because that’s what new year’s resolutions most often resemble right), focus on enriching the person that you already are. Nurture the existing relationships that are serving you. Consciously evaluate what you want to carry into this next season, and make the choice to put down what might be too heavy.