The New Years Resolution

  .... This one is a little late in the year.  We've already passed out roses and Easter eggs.  But they say it's always good to plan ahead.  Look for that post later.

The New Year is a time to start fresh.  A time to ditch the old bad habits, pay of those debts, get fit, etc ....

According to Forbes, only 8% of people achieve their resolution.  So that puts 92% of the population, that has resolved to change, in the "couldn't make it" category.

I have the same resolution each year.  Not to have a resolution.  That puts me in the 8%.

Something to consider.

Things can only get better

Say no more ...

You've lost weight

This one can be pretty obvious, and usually sounds complimentary. However, the depth of this one is greater than most think.

Telling this to someone, who wanted to lose weight, is like a pat on the back, right? How about the side that is actually telling that they were overweight to begin with. Maybe they knew that, but did they know the extent?

Then, there is the other direction that you might not think about. What if they lost weight because they are very sick, or going through some life changing event? Well isn't that a nice thing to remind them of?

And then, there is the lighter side to this. What if they were thin to begin with? Now you just told them that they look unhealthy!

So ... Is this a statement that you should think twice before saying?

If I Were You

If I were you ...

This appears to be an individuals humble attempt to assist someone else in an unpleasant decision making progress.  This is straight arrogance and a backhanded way of letting them know your opinion is better than their's.

But ...

"But" is a great word! It allows us to separate who we really are from what we are about to say, or to say something something with a clear conscience.

Here are a few great examples ...

I'm not racist but ... I'm about to say something really ugly and now its okay.

I love you but ...Has this ever been followed by anything good? This is an attempt to soften the blow before something comes out that probably could have stayed in. Or at least been procesed so it didn't require softening.

No offense but ... I'm gonna tell you that you are not qualified to do what ever it is you are doing. You might not be qualified to shower without a follow up spray of Axe. Or you might not be qualified to brush your teeth without daily feedback from a dental hygienist.