This is it, we’re in 2021. You took new resolutions. Everybody has wished you a Happy new Year and you’ve finally resumed work.

Same old beginning of the year with the the same old resolutions:

• losing weight
• eating better
• working out more or on a regular basis
• saying hi to that beautiful single neighbour
• saving the planet (some claim to…)
• going to bed earlier…etc

This time, Covid got into the mix and you’re here reflecting on how to live differently.

For some, it’s great to be able to work from home (like the Grinch), for others depressing since they need human contact (like… the lemmings). Well, the good thing is that with future lockdowns, you may want to go to bed earlier. xD

Kidding aside, people are trying to sell you new things you don’t need, desires you didn’t have, dreams you won’t realize, fears to get you indoctrinated or any other thing just to get you hooked. Well, nothing new under the sun so far…

I got those resolutions. I bought that thing, did that, went to that place… So what? Where’s the difference?

I am still me, a more experienced me, but still me. I haven’t found any happiness in any of it but wasted more money, more time, have got less space in my room and want more things than before.

Desires never end. But as the Buddha may say “it’s all an illusion”. You just don’t need those things.

Just accept yourself. Be who you are and know thyself!

Rather than doing new things, observe your reactions! Break out of your mental illusion. Get out of the matrix, Neo!

Clear your head before you add up new things in it, whether they be new project or anything…

Besides, people can’t tell you what’s good for you. You know what’s good for you! or not yet…

You want to improve yourself? Why? If you’re really into that, do what you must then and if you’re supposed to, you will! Don’t call that a resolution, call that an objective then.

But if you don’t succeed in doing so, don’t be too hard on yourself or envy people! It meant you were not supposed to. Either you learn or you win. At least you tried!

So, if things don’t happen the way you expect them to – as a matter of fact, they hardly do – just let them go!

Reality is always right. Life is the best teacher. Better be down-to-earth. But what makes you think you had better do this or that, improve this or that?

So let me break it down to you and let’s all try to see the possible disadvantages of such resolutions:

• Getting slimer: unless you want to avoid having a heart attack (which everyone should), stop caring too much about your weight. Nobody cares but you! You’re a bit fatter than you think you should? Remember this: “In warzones, when fat people get slim, it might mean slim people might be dead already” … Dark humour here, but still cogent… Plus, given the covid context (no toilet papers and pastas), it might even be an advantage…
• Eating better: Good one for the health too but don’t be too stringent and allow yourself some time for a good old pizza and a nice movie. We may all die tomorrow, so who cares after all? (This “we may all die tomorrow” excuse works for every situation)
• Working out more: Well, yeah do that but don’t do it too much… Keeping a bit of fat is nice for wintertime… It’s nice to let off steam though.
• Say hi to that beautiful stranger: It turns out you may become a great couple until you realise she is not right in the head and you move on, a bit more hurt than before you met her… So, being single protects you from drama queens and trauma with nutcases, huh?
• Saving the planet: That’s a very nice thought but you may put Superman, Batman and the Green Lantern out of work. Where’s your compassion?
• Going to bed earlier: well, resting is important and a good night’s sleep allows your body to rejuvenate itself. So it’s a good piece of advice. Don’t overdo it though. Resting doesn’t mean getting lazier.

Ok, I haven’t only found many disadvantages here but my main goal was to show you that things are not always what they seem. Being a do-gooder or a baddie both suck, because extremes suck.

Just accept yourself. Listen to your own voice, your own experience because it’s unique. You’re just great already!

Don’t even listen to me! If you came this far, that proves you don’t listen when I say “don’t listen”, which in itself is good… Or listen to the people who tell you to listen nobody so that in the end, you just listen to yourself!

Besides, we already know now that the ultimate answer is 42, so why bother?

What matters is what you do with your own time in this life.

Just be real. People don’t like it? Don’t argue, it’s useless. Don’t waste your time.

People are too different and nobody truly understands each other. We don’t even know ourselves! How could we know others?

We just try to get along in this maze we call life and live together the best we can.

Harmony matters a great deal though, so being oneself doesn’t necessarily mean being narrow-minded.

The greatest piece of news in all that is that you have to do or be “nothing” more!

Plus, when you look for nothing, nothing can affect you…

But maybe this “nothing” truly is the hardest part…

In Taoism, people say that everything is in nothing… so when you look for nothing, you might find everything… who knows… 😉

Rather than wanting or being more, you might just want to have less or be less (bless‘ed) – this pun is awesome !

You’ll fill your life with a bit more of “yourself” to explore. You are never out of time when you take it for yourself and Youssef (he used to sell kebab just around the corner but went belly-up due to Government restrictions on restaurants).

By the way, I think I heard your “self” advising you to press the “like” and “share” buttons, unless it was Youssef or a noise coming from the railway station. Guess we’ll never know…

Anyway, to conclude, let me wish you all nothing! At least, you won’t be disappointed by unrealistic resolutions… What is more, resolutions often have this negative connotation in which you hope to improve but fail to do so. So don’t call your new objectives resolutions, call them what they are, that is, new goals for your self-improvement.