Wednesday Guest Post "A YOU Year Resolution" by Garrett Billings

Gare Billings

My name is Gare Billings. I’m from a small town in upstate NY. I write, sing, work and play. I just turned 25 in May and it was my defining year; the one in which I decided to pursue my own happiness. I decided so because of this blog. Rose Sanderson inspired me to do a lot and she is one of my best memories from the 10 months I spent in Boston, trying to find myself. When she approached me to be a guest blogger, I initially was hesitant because she set the bar high. I was nervous about what to write and she told me, “Write whatever you want, Gare!” I’d love to include more in my bio, but hopefully with time everyone can get to know me through my writing. So here’s to my then, my now and my future. I’ll share it with whoever reads. Cheers!
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A YOU Year Resolution

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

~Neil Gaiman

So, I admit it. I've never considered myself a "blogger". I've read other peoples blogs and thought to myself, "why didn't I think of that?" I've had ideas, ideas that turn into a chaotic tornado of thoughts and scenarios that I thought I could use for short stories, or dreams that I would like to see turn out in my favor.
Faced with the idea of writing another blog, I kept thinking "what do I write about now?" I wrote before about heartbreak and putting negative feelings involving my heart on hold and trying to better myself in that area of my life. It's still something that I work at every day. To get a better idea of what I should write, I thought about upcoming events, situations I am in now and how day by day, month by month and year by year, I've always wanted to try to grow and be a better person for myself.
So the other day, I was brainstorming. Jotting down different ideas. Love? Wrote it. Life? Light bulb... I got to thinking about the holiday season and how it really is the best time of the year. Friends, family, cheer, parties, and then the near year would be fast approaching.

In the past, I've always wanted to be the person who made a new year’s resolution and actually stuck by it. Year after year, I've done the cliché. Lose ten pounds, pay off my credit card, clean out my closet, donate to more charities, etc. I quickly found myself in a place where I realized one thing. I have had all these ideas in the past and never stuck by them. So, here I am. I'm making it a priority to not just have an idea this year, but to actually chose one resolution and stick by it. But why stop there?

I've decided one thing and one thing only. I am not going to make a new year’s resolution to stick by it; I am going to challenge myself to be the person I'd like to spend time with. Focus on the positive, eliminate the negative. Be optimistic, outgoing, caring. I quickly find myself looking forward to the New Year. But this isn't just a new year’s resolution, this is for me. It's a great time for a fresh start and what a wonderful way to start it out. I'm going to make myself happier. I'm not going to aim to lose ten pounds or spend less time worrying about work or another resolution that I could feel accomplished over in two weeks and consider it complete.

This is going to be a YOU year for me. A year for myself, improving what I dislike and making it last not just a week, a month or the year. This is something that I am challenging myself for the long haul.
In my cyclone of thoughts, I don't want my resolution to be a checklist. Something that I can get done as fast as I can to move onto the next. I want a continuation, a process, and pride that can last longer than a project I can move on from within a certain amount of time.

So what about you? Why not make this year the best of your life and make it last? Fight, love, and face your struggles head on. Be optimistic about every situation, it helps. Do you have a lot of friends? Are you more of a loner? Are you happily in a relationship? Engagement? Marriage? Single? Do you want to be? Change. Change the things you don't like about yourself. It brings happiness. When you love yourself and it shows, you turn yourself into a magnet. You keep the people that you already have close to you and attract those who aren't around you. Be social, be happy, be you. Have a You Year Resolution. Treat yourself. Discipline yourself. Change, evolve and grow. Life is short but it doesn't have to always feel like a burden. Be you. It's the one thing you can do that no one else can. When you look back, the good memories are a lot better to relive than the negative.