To Know Where You Are Going, You Need to Know Where You Have Been

By:  Stephanie Benney

Guess what time of the year it is again?  It’s resolution making time!  You know, the time when you start off the new year making promises and resolutions to eat healthier, exercise more, make more time for family, etc.  Then, about late February, your usual habits sneak back into your daily routine and all of those resolutions go right out the window.  So, what are you going to do this year?

Well, before you know where you are going, you have to know where you have been.  This is the perfect time to reflect upon 2011.  What worked for you and what didn’t?  What improvements do you want to make in your personal self, community and planet?

I have a difficult time sticking with my resolutions and I suspect that I am not the only one with this problem. So, I have decided to formulate a list of resolutions or deeds that not only benefit you, but the community and our great Mother Earth.  I figure that if people are depending on me, it may make it easier to stick with.  I hope that you find one item on my list that you feel comfortable with and make it your 2012 New Year’s Resolution.

1.  Smile at a stranger!  Everyone has bad days.  The thing is, we aren’t aware of what goes on in one another’s lives, especially in a perfect stranger’s.  You never know if the woman passing you in the parking garage has just been sentenced with a terminal cancer diagnosis; maybe the man waiting in line in front of you in the store just got the pink slip and he is wondering how he’s going to continue to put food on the table.  Maybe just a genuinely kind smile can mean more to a person than you will ever know.

2.  Alleviate energy bills!  Did you know that all of those electronics and cell phone chargers plugged into the walls are still sucking up energy even when not in use?  You can fix this problem by plugging your electronics into a power strip and flipping the switch to off when you are not using them.

3.  Walk it out!  When things are stressing you out or you’ve had an argument with someone, walk it out.  Before you say things that become irreversible or could hurt the other person, grab your tennis shoes and go pound the dirt.  Walking is the perfect time to reconnect with nature and your surroundings while mentally and emotionally clearing and sorting through issues.

4.  Farm or Factory?  When purchasing food, take the time to buy as much as possible from your local farmer’s market or natural grocery store.  Not only will you feel better knowing exactly where your food is coming from, but you will feel good knowing that you are supporting your local community.

5.  Take your name off of the list!  Take it upon yourself to unsubscribe to all unnecessary magazines and mailing lists.  It will clear your counters, mailbox and mind!

Enjoy a toast at midnight to where you have been and where you are going;  every experience matters.  Happy New Year!

Stephanie Benney is a “Sustainable Visionary” and also the new Pittsburgh Representative for Fuzed Marketing, where she helps companies increase their brand presence. stephaniebenney@yahoo.com