// have faith, be resolute //

What makes people:

Excited for the last hour.
Cheer till the last minute.
Count down to the last second.
So you've guessed it!
Happy 2009!

To welcome the new year,
perhaps it's best to set personal resolutions.
For those of you who do set resolutions,
why did you choose to do so?

For me, at least, it is to welcome the new year with refreshed hopes and courage.
Resolutions are a way for me to challenge myself and to prove to myself that I have not spent the year in vain.
So what if I might try to carry them out for the first few months of the year and cleanly forgotten about them in the months that follow?
At least I had tried and also welcomed the new year in high spirits.
That's what matters to me, ultimately.

Over the previous years, I had set many resolutions which I have failed or at most fulfilled 50% of them.
And I think I have learnt an important lesson from it.
Resolutions which I have failed in carrying out are usually those which are beyond me.
What I mean, resolutions should be set to improve oneself, and not changing oneself.
I have always been a supporter of being true to oneself (looks familiar? =D)
and will keep doing so.
What sets each and every one of us apart really interests me.

The timid and the bold.
The saint and the criminal.
The rebellious and the obedient.
The stubborn and the submissive.
The extroverted and the introverted.
The healthy and the physically disabled.
The attention-seeking and the quiet.
The trendsetter and the follower.
The arrogant and the humble.
The normal and the weird.

As we label people accordingly, or should I simply say stereotype people,
perhaps we should be mindful that majority of the people falls within the range in-between.
For instance, one can appear timid under certain circumstances and appear courageous in other situations.
Whatever the case, I feel it is rather impossible to change a person's character thoroughly and there is no point in doing so unless he/she is causing harm to others in the society.
Therefore, I have learnt that we should seek to improve, and not change our original self.

Oh ya, I shall not sidetrack and proceed with writing my resolutions.
i
1. To be able to have the good fortune of attending the Tozan Pilgrimage to Head Temple in Japan by being able to overcome any obstacles that might arise.
2. Continued faith and increase buddhist knowledge.
3. To be able to be more tolerant and considerate towards my family.
4. To deepen my friendships. (by not pangseh-ing people, for a start =X)
5. Continue to strive for better results, despite whatever disappointments there might be.
6. To set aside time for exercise and fight off temptations of junk food.
7. To commit in volunteering at IMH.
8. To help my tutees achieve their fullest potential. ( Scold if need arise, give credit when its due)
9. Allocate time to pursue my interests in psychology, music and japanese language.

Last but not least, I hope everyone around me can enjoy good health and happiness for the rest of the year!

If I were to be able to fulfil each and every single of my resolutions, I could be place right at the top of Maslow's heirachy.
But nah, I know that's impossible.
But hopes are enough to keep people alive. =)