My Top 2009 New Year's Resolution: To Conquer Negativity with Gratitude

Despite the culture of negativity that seems to thrive in various facets of society, I strive each day to generate positive energy from within and emit it into the universe. Most days, I do a pretty good job of it. I do however have my share of moments when negativity seems to hover over me like a dark cloud that just refuses to dissipate. For that reason, my top New Year's Resolution is to conquer negativity with the one bit of ammunition I am confident will do the job - GRATITUDE. Since living with gratitude can be a "fuzzy" concept, I had to give it some structure by dividing it into a number of manageable objectives.

#1: Celebrate Mondays

Like many people, I often dread Mondays - that is, unless I happen to be on vacation! I can't recall the point in my life when Monday became a sentence to 8-12 hours of sheer misery, but somehow, I built it up to be so in my mind. In 2009, rather than dreading Mondays, I will actually celebrate them. Whether I stop for my favorite coffee on the way to work, reconnect via phone or e-mail with friends and loved ones, take a nice, leisurely walk during one of my breaks or take a few minutes out of my day to jot down and give thanks for all of my blessings, I will incorporate some form of celebration into each and every Monday.

#2: Counter Naysayers with Actions, Not Words

Every time I get into a debate with a naysayer, or dwell on their negative words, I want to kick myself. Naysayers simply do not deserve any room in my mental space and when I waste time arguing my point with them or thinking of clever comebacks, I allow naysayers to occupy room in my mental space that should be taken up by positive thoughts. While it's not always possible to physically distance myself from naysayers, I can counter their negativity with positive action. I can start by being grateful that I am not one of them! In addition, just like prize-winning boxers who let their opponents make themselves weary with futile swings, I can pick my battles carefully and conserve my energy for the big knock-out punch. My knock-out punch will be in the form of my own success, self-growth and peace of mind.

#3: Kick "But" in the Butt

"My life is good, but it could be better!"

"I love my family, but I sure wish I was rich!"

"I've got a great smile, but I could stand to lose 15 pounds!"

It's hard to develop an attitude of gratitude when the word "but" becomes a regular part of your vocabulary and always precedes a negative statement. Although I'm not sure how many times on average I use the word "but" in a given day, I suspect that it's in well into the double digits. In 2009, I will kick "but" in the butt by allowing positive thoughts and statements to stand on their own. "My life is good," and "I love my family," for example, are positive statements that reflect positive thoughts and should never, ever be followed by a "but".

#4: Mind My Own Grass

Have you ever spent more time admiring your neighbor's grass than working on the upkeep of your own? Perhaps you've secretly wondered why their grass always seems to be so green and why they very rarely have any weeds showing. After a while, you begin to notice more flaws in your own grass. If you asked your neighbor, you might just discover that instead of spending their money on certain luxuries, they pay for a lawn care service. Or instead of sleeping in late on Saturday mornings, they routinely do yard work.

I can personally relate to this in both the literal and figurative sense. In the figurative sense, someone else's grass may look greener than mine, but I still have grass! Whether that "grass" is in reality a roof over my head, a career, or a mate, it is a blessing for which I should be grateful. And the best way to express my gratitude (and genuinely appreciate what I have) is to mind my own grass!

#5: Ring in the "Old"

Ringing in the New Year is a great way to get hyped about the days, weeks and months to come. It can be a celebration of life and an anticipation of positive change and progress. However, celebrating the "old" can be a good thing too. As I ring in the New Year, I will also celebrate the special people and things that have been with me for a long time and that I hope will continue to be with me in the years to come.