Little Things Mean a Lot

Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa: Oh, my! So much rushing about to do, so much family and festivities and focus on making memories.

Nothing wrong with any of that but in a tick of the clock, it will be time for resolutions, not memories. Let’s get a head start with holiday resolutions that can both make the holidays more memorable.

• I resolve to care more about the moment and less about making the memory. If I don’t catch the moment on my camera, that’s OK.
• I resolve that I will not pick up my mobile device when a person is talking to me face-to-face. The mobile will take a message; the person may never have that exact look or story to tell again.
• I resolve that no matter how many virtual friends I can reach by posting or tweeting, I will remember to talk to my closest friends on the phone or in person as often as possible.
• I resolve to ask “How important is it?” when something irks me. Is a slight or misspoken word worth a grudge?
• I resolve to find one nice thing about every day, whether it is a smile or a flower or the feeling of relief when the day is finally done.
• I resolve to do an act of kindness every day, whether sympathizing with an overworked clerk or holding on to my trash until I see a garbage can.
• I resolve to listen carefully, even to those with whom I disagree in the hope I will gain enough understanding to find common ground.

No, these are not save-the-world resolutions; they are more like save-my-community resolutions, ways in which I show I value the people in my life, whether colleagues, family or strangers with whom I share space on Earth.

What other resolutions would make our personal worlds better places to be?

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