WINSTON WEEKLY^[1]

December 29, 2024

Vol. 2, No. 52

NEW CHAPTERS

As 2024 closes with the 52^nd edition of Winston Weekly, my focus is on “New Chapters” instead of New Year’s Resolutions. I have often failed miserably at resolutions; many others have too. Dr. Asmin Shah, Executive Vice Chair of the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Services at Baylor College of Medicine found that 88% of people who set resolutions for the new year fail within two weeks because of unreasonable or idealistic goals.[2] Dr. Shah believes that resolutions are more achievable when they focus on one’s overall ‘”well-being which includes stress and mental health, physical and financial health.’”

Turning the negativity of social and other media into “new chapters” of overall well-being seems manageable and perhaps achievable. I long ago dispensed with having balance in my life because the reality is that “life happens.” This month was no different. A beloved colleague lost her husband unexpectedly; a long-time family friend passed after a week-long hospital stay; Christmas plans unraveled; and on and on.

In the past, I would have wallowed in the losses, but I am gradually embracing the lessons of loss more constructively. I am taking to heart Dr. Joe Dispenza’s book, Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself. Multiple quotes from his book finally resonate with me; this one the most: “So either we anticipate stress-response-producing experiences or we recollect them; our bodies are either existing in the future or in the past. To our detriment, we turn short-term stressful situations into long-term ones.”  This is not to say that I am no longer saddened by December’s losses or that I no longer have negative thoughts. Rather, I consider ways to be more mindful, grateful, and settled.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

As you look toward 2025, consider what new chapters you can create for yourself, for a child, a friend, a student, or someone else. Are your reactions to the inevitable “life happens” moments consistent with your well-being? Read a new book. Write a new story.

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[1] Copyright December 29, 2024. Winston Weekly is a weekly newsletter and blog by Alysen Bayles available at www.baylesconnect.com or by e-mail at baylesconnect@gmail.com. Please feel free to share with the appropriate attribute.

[2] Taylor Barnes, New Year’s resolutions: Why do we give up on them so quickly?, Jan. 11, 2024, www.bcm.edu