Eleven

Something is in the air, do you smell it?  It's 2011.  And it smells good.

Personally, I felt like 2010 left this world like a punk teenager who had kicked you in the shins and taken all your money.  But what can you do?  It's only a teenager.  And you know what?  It's not its fault really, I tried to force 2010 to take on adult responsibilities when it was obviously not ready.  It was the year of "Financial Stability and Responsibility."  That is the last time I will ever agree to such a boring and unmagical theme for a year.

I discovered a long time ago that if I set 2 or 3 goals, I will fail 2 or 3 goals. However, if I set over 20 goals, I will accomplish 2 or 3 goals! In 2010, I set responsible and stable goals: I read the Book of Mormon by May 9th, I went to the temple every month, and I visit taught every month. I also bought a fancy camera and somewhat learned how to use the video program on my Mac. Sadly, I did not buy an investment, go to the Redwood Forest, or stop procrastinating (I'll tell you more about that one tomorrow). I also did not do the 13 other goals on my list. But 5 out of 21 ain't bad!

I can already tell 2011 is going to be different.  I thought at first it was just me, since I generally tend to feel this excited with every new year.  I can't help myself - it's the season of resolutions/goals/dreams/possibilities and I love it (almost more than Christmas(please no judgement)).  As I've discussed the new year with others, I've discovered that I'm not the only one who feels that 2011 is going to be out-of-this-world amazing.  So obviously, it will be.  It's the year we will let nothing stop us.

So here's to magical 2011!  May it be filled with bagpipes, hot air balloons, tropical sunsets, and success around every corner.

I love New Years' resolutions.  It's true.  I'm not ashamed to say it.  It's hard for me to understand why they get such a bad rap, I literally cringe every time I hear people complain or criticize about resolutions.  It just makes me think that those people have not yet discovered the true beauty of New Years' resolutions because they focus on ones like losing weight or saving money or anything that they don't want to do but feel they should.  I am a firm believer that resolutions should always be things you desperately want to do.  They can be easy, they can be hard, they can be funny, they can even be losing weight - but they always have to come from wanting, not from should-ing.

For example, I desperately want to read the entire dictionary in the year 2009.  So far, it's been awesome (adj. 1. inspiring awe: an awesome sight. 2. characterized by awe. -awe'some-ly, adv. -awe'some-ness, n.)  Have you ever read the definition for the word "a"?  It's incredible.  In the Random House Dictionary of the English Language(college edition) there are 19 separate entries for the word "a" with 56 separate definitions within those entries!  It can be a noun and an article and a preposition and a symbol and a couple other things I don't really understand.  Do you know that "a" can mean both "one" and "every"?  And it can mean something different in physics, the metric system, chemistry, Old English, music, and that's just the beginning.  Say it twice and it's a basaltic lava (or you might be redirected to Alcoholics Anonymous, take your pick).  Reading this one definition threw my mind into all sorts of analogies and possibilities for future sacrament talks, pep talks, and yes, blog posts.  If I had known that this one little word carried so much power behind it, I would have been treating it with more respect all these years.  I can't wait to read the definition for "the".

You might be thinking that anyone who can get this excited about reading the dictionary needs to look up the word "psychopath" and take it to heart.  I, however, am feeling a deep satisfaction from knowing that I might be one of only a handful of people on earth to have ever taken the time to read the definition for "a" and actually learned something from it.  And you know what?  It feels great.  Which is why I love New Years' resolutions.  Could I have just as happy of a life without reading the dictionary?  Yes.  Would I want to live my life without reading the dictionary?  Not now.  That, my friend, is the power of a good resolution.