First of all, I feel like should make a few comments about the new year’s resolution ritual itself.

In my experience, one well-crafted resolution is enough. If there are more goals or stipulations, it helps to have some glue or threads to keep them together. Finally, though I am deeply annoyed with the current disarray and shameful state of US politics, I will leave those matters aside.

In a nutshell, my New Year’s focus will be on being grateful: recognizing and appreciating what we have or what we can reach, much like in the yoga tradition of “supreme joy arises from contentment.”

Moving and getting settled in New England (fall 2021) after 28 years in Idaho has been quite an undertaking. But now we are much closer to family, and we are making new friends as well.

My goal, then, is simply to be enough, even though I am stretched to my limit and sometimes beyond. I cannot appreciably change our circumstances, but I can control my response to them. While under duress, can I still be grateful and can I feel contentment? And in the process, can I gain a better understanding of myself, our needs, fears, and the challenges we are facing?

Perfection is out of the question. Instead I hope to become more mindful, and along the way create a bit of space for yoga, walking, nature and wildlife, skating, music, friends, good food and other things that make us content. Photos below (top, clockwise): Creede CO ca. 2020; Arlo and Tully, 2022; good advice, timeless; skater gliding; aspire to be more.