Along with the holiday ornaments and perhaps that special bottle of bubbly or cider, I'm finding it's time to dust off that old saying my parents were fond of: "If you can't say something positive, don't say anything at all.
" I've been reminding myself of this admonition as the past few months have unfolded.
And as a result, I have written, published, and then un-published a number of articles that I soon came to see as less than uplifting.
That's putting it mildly.
Some of these pieces have been excoriating, especially the missives I have missiled over to blogs while using pen names.
If I've been displeased with the performance of certain sports teams I root for, I haven't suffered in silence.
But it makes me wonder if there isn't karmic recoil to shooting off one's mouth.
I ask myself: Is my criticism really doing any good? I'm having sincere doubts, so one of my new year's resolutions is to endeavor to make my articles, postings, books, audios, and videos as positive and uplifting as they can be.
After all, nobody has ever written me a note thanking me for telling them how bleak something appears, though I have been the recipient of many thanks for inspiration.
When I think about it, I'd prefer to read something that asserts: "You can do it!" instead of the opposite.
Recently I read a thoughtful and absolutely depressing book by a distinguished, award-winning author.
His thesis: Corporations own and control everything, including our politicians and government, so as an individual, you don't have a chance.
Doesn't that just make you want to pull up the covers and hide? I'm going to try to make all of my new year's resolutions strictly positive.
No losing weight for me; I'm going to gain firmness and muscle.
Forget about driving less, I'm jogging more often to the store.
Negativity and positivity are habits.
Happily, it's never too late to shift from one to the other.