Sunday, January 14, 2024

WHAT'S NEW ?



  this font is Rock Salt.  Seems appropriate when evening newscasters show pictures of road crews spreading Salt brine on roadways in anticipation of inclement weather.. has happened only a couple of times this month here in North Carolina. My brother in New Hampshire already has had a couple of "snow events".   January with its cold is almost half over  ; So, a question: how are you doing with your new year's resolutions ?

  I noticed that "Quitting  Day" occurred a few days ago. That  is the presumed date by which new Year's resolutions become discards.

So far, I am sticking with mine:  "make no new Year's resolutions". How are You doing with yours ?

   Just for fun, i did an internet search for the topic.  The most common one (not surprisingly ) pertains to improving  fitness (48%), followed by Improving finances and improving mental health. If i were making one, i 

like "Read more books". Having completed just two, glad i did not commit to that one. The thought of snuggling by the fireside with a good book  on a snowy day does sound alluring .

   Given the 'Fall off the wagon'  outcome for sticking to well-intended January 1st goals,  it's a fair question as to whether  any change can occur.  As a therapist, I am often asked if someone (usually the person asking  the question) can "change".  The quick answer  is that I have witnessed Change and that if i didn't think it possible, at my age, i would not be a therapist. HOWEVER . . . and it's a big  'however' . . . it usually is not quick nor effortless.

   'Transformation'  differs greatly from 'change'. According  to an internet source :"Change is usually a response to something and happens gradually, while transformation  is a deliberate and significant shift".  Don't hear  a  lot about New Year's transformations.

  I have noticed that this font does not make for easy  reading ,  so I am making  a significant  shift:  Never again will i use Rock Salt as a font for the blog .

    HAPPY NEW YEAR !

       Satchel





6 comments:

  1. I like the font! It’s groovy!!

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  2. Glad you're switching back to the original font. New Year's Resolution, no. Didn't keep any before now. I'll make changes as I need them. Happy New Year!

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  3. Ron, My only new years resolution for the past few years is to not gain more than 20 pounds. So far its one I have managed to keep. Corkey

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  4. I never have made them and while I suppose an annual reminder to do an assessment and make some changes if needed may be a good idea, I've always belonged more to the teachable-moment school of thought. A resolution to do something different at the time of experiencing some undesired outcome seems to have more lasting power as I can associate that undesired effect with the change.

    My grandson is a social worker who is employed by a hospital to assess people who show up in the ER. His role is to decide whether the reason they are there is more than just an unfortunate incident. If he decides it is drug or mental health related, they are held for up to 48 hours while attempts are made to get them on a new course.

    I asked how often he sees the same people cycle through. He said it is about 95%

    I said it sounded like burn-outsville, but he's turned down several promotion opportunities 'cause he says that every now and again you make a real change in someone's life.

    Most resolutions are probably wasted effort ... but occasionally ...

    Art

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  5. I have stuck with my resolutions to not drink any alcohol in January and to not by any new clothing or books. My favorite resolution though, to invest in a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction course, I made before 1/1/2024. So I would say that the best time to begin a needed or desired change is right now and remember that change is hard so be kind to yourself and keep the target small.

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