January 3rd, 2016

Happy New Year!

I've never made any resolutions for the new year. I've always thought it a little weird to use an arbitrary date on a calendar to make changes in my life. That and I've probably never spent enough time reflecting and thinking about changes I may need to make. But this year I'm going to give it a go. Without further ado, I resolve to:

 - Be more friendly, loving, and gracious. I've learned this past year that you never know what someone might be going through. Any interaction with anyone could be a chance to brighten their day, to share God's love, to brighten what could be a dark time for them. Christina and I have been blessed many times this past year by simple gestures of kindness, even from complete strangers. I hope to pass that on this year.

 - Enjoy every moment for what it's worth. You truly never know what the future holds, and how much more time you have left. I want to enjoy every moment like it's the last one I have, and I want to be more present and invested in the time I have and the people I'm with.

 - Gain weight. I hear it's normal in American culture to have a resolution regarding weight. So, I'm going to try to gain weight and get in shape. I'm planning on eating and exercising a lot. Obviously this resolution is conditional upon my health; if I have to go back into treatment for cancer then I don't see myself gaining weight, but I will still try.

 - Finish at least one book, hopefully two. I have a few projects going on (see the "book announcements" section on this blog), but my main project is a follow-up series to the Tamyth Trilogy. The quickest way to describe it is to say it's sort of what 'The Lord of the Rings' is to 'The Hobbit'. I'm about halfway done with the first book, and hope to finish it and pursue a traditional course of publishing for it. Anyone know any literary agents? :)

 - Love God and my neighbor better. These are the two essential teachings of my religion, and two mandates at which I fail daily. This is not so much a resolution for the year but one I need to make every day, and reflect upon regularly.

There are probably other resolutions I need to make (such as see 'The Force Awakens' at least three more times) but this short list will have to suffice for now.