What you absolutely must resolve to do this year.

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Hey all!

First off, HOLY COW, it’s awesome to be putting up a real, normal post for once.  I don’t really count the “future plans/book plans” posts or the St. Liftolas post (no matter how awesome that was).  I know we were supposed to be back on the 22nd, but honestly that was kind of a silly expectation on my part given the craziness of the holiday season and whatnot.  SO, here we are, on the last day of the year, a time for new plans for new beginnings, and saying goodbye to the year we had.

Now, I’ve written about my feelings on resolutions before, and they haven’t changed much, but I do have a particular resolution I’d like you all to consider.  It’s my own personal resolution for the year as well…

In 2015, I will love myself for who I am.  I will accept my flaws, and admire my strengths.  I will admit that I’m not perfect.  Finally, I will strive to better myself in some way, every single day, for my own benefit, and not to satisfy anyone else.

Too often I see people getting down on themselves for their flaws, physical or mental.  I see people afraid of their own potential, afraid that they might screw things up by trusting their own abilities.  I see people beaten down by popular media, popular culture, and even their own social circle’s expectations of them.  Finally, I see people who sink into apathy because of their fears, abuses, or personal misgivings.

On this blog I like to promote wellness, health, and personal growth.  A lot of people make resolutions because “They want to look like that girl in the magazine,” or “They want their crush to finally notice them.”   Sometimes getting in shape is not healthy, believe it or not.  Mental health is more important than physical health.  If you are getting in shape for toxic reasons, and unrealistic expectations, you’re fighting the wrong problem first.

There’s a big difference between disliking what kind of shape you’re in, and disliking yourself because of the kind of shape you’re in.  If it’s the former, then charge on ahead, sir or madam, there’s nothing wrong with personal improvement, and I support it in every way!  But, if it’s the latter, and you dislike yourself as a person, you might want to look into getting that resolved before undergoing a serious fitness regimen.  Here’s the deal: if you dislike yourself because you’re fat, or skinny, or have bad skin, or whatever, there is NO guarantee that losing weight, gaining weight, or clearing your skin will have any actual effect on your own sense of well-being.

Love yourself.  You’re here, reading this post right now, and I thank you for that.  Let me take this moment to say that you are worth it, and you are awesome, and you can do anything you set your mind to.  I don’t care what your scale tells you, what you see in the mirror, or what a fashion magazine says about you.  None of those things measure your worth.  Think about the odds of you actually being here, how HUGE the universe is, and what the chances are of you actually being here, reading this, in this moment.  Your very existence is a triumphant moment in history, against immeasurable odds.  NEVER forget that.

Whatever your goals are, remember that no matter what, I believe in you, and I will support you in whatever way I can.

Now, if you’ve already made peace with who you are, and are okay with yourself as a person, just maybe not the condition you’re currently in, then we are ready to move on.  Remember, there is a difference between “I dislike myself because X,” and, “I like myself, but I want to change X.”  If you find yourself firmly in camp number two, then WAY TO GO!  Here’s the deal for YOU:  I’m starting a resolution thread over on the forum.  I want YOU to head on over there and post your goals for 2015.  Every single post should start with the initial “In 2015, I will love myself for who I am.  I will accept my flaws, and admire my strengths.  I will admit that I’m not perfect.  Finally, I will strive to better myself in some way, every single day, for my own benefit, and not to satisfy anyone else.” and then continue with your own individual goals for the year.

I’m going to be going away this weekend for a black belt weapons training weekend.  When I come back, Monday, January 5th, I will be selecting two random posters from the resolution thread to receive free copies of How to Be a Game Character.  Speaking of the book, where the heck is it?  Well, I apologize, first of all, for the delayed release of the book.  The holidays kind of got in the way in a big way.  That said, if you pre-ordered the book, keep an eye on your inbox later today, you should be getting some goodies.  If you didn’t pre-order the book, that’s okay, too!  Come back TOMORROW for a full update on book status, the status of the blog, and what the 2015 road map looks like!

In the meantime, hop on over to the forum and post your resolution!  Make sure you encourage others in their resolutions, too!  I’ll see you there!

As always, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!

Dan “DaRatmastah” Wallace