No resolutions...

[merimask]

Everyone has been listing New Year's resolutions in their LJ entries.  I can't think of a single one.  I'm constantly challenging myself to improve in almost every aspect of my life...to list that would be an ongoing project and not a special once-a-year thing, and so I won't bother.

I guess if I could make one new promise to myself, I'd ask myself not to get so upset about situations that are beyond my control.  Still, that's just my nature and so tightly woven into who I am...I can't seem to separate myself from my own tendency to want to "fix" things.  Even when things aren't fixable.  It's like the way I drive a car; I always make a turn signal even when no one is on the road besides me.  That way, I never have to make a judgement call about whether or not to use a turn signal because it's something I automatically do.  Of course, sometimes that means I make signals for no reason at all.  *shrug*

I have had a productive, dragon-filled weekend.

Isn't he pretty?  Another Asian Flame dragon.  I added whiskers to this one 'cause he's a gift & needs to be extra-special.

Been making a lot of gifts lately, to thank key people from last year's adventures.  Perhaps that is my way of greeting the new year; remembering to thank people for my exceptional 2008.  I'm a little sad to see it go actually; could I ever possibly top such an incredibly magical series of events?    When you reach the top of the mountain, all roads forward seem to travel down, a bit (before they head back up again).

I'm measuring the potential of 2009 in the masks I've signed '09 on so far this year; every one is a spectacular piece and every one is a gift.  Perhaps that bodes well...?  I'm also taking heart in the "Year Of The Ox" thing; fortitude and hard work seem to be good things to aspire to.

Well, anyway.  Here's to 2009.  I'm channeling my inner ox.

Comments

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I don't think anyone on my list did any New Year's resolutions. I know I didn't...but then, I don't celebrate New Year's in any way so I never do. Besides, I've never been a person who waits for New Year's to start improving things. Sure, if it's Saturday December 30th and I have a chance to start something I just thought of on Monday January 1, I'll do it, as I like to have a clean starting point I can remember exactly...but that's about as close to it as I get. My goal to attempt to be more reasonable really couldn't wait. I was killing myself, lol. *sigh*

It could be that I just THINK of myself as lazy because I was when I was a teenager. Maybe I outgrew it. Maybe now I'm just honestly too tired, sometimes, and I shouldn't call it laziness. But if you had a bad habit once you always feel like you have to jump up and down on it so it can't get out again...

I think I'd better stay away from my 'inner ox'. That or my 'inner boar'. I think maybe my boar and my ox melded and took over. Because actually, I'm a horse, you know.

I can never remember the horse attributes, though.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I found this site about the Horse:
http://pages.infinit.net/garrick/chinese/horse.html
It actually seems to fit you a lot, except for the part about traveling & leaving home early.

I think a goal to be reasonable is a very good one. I should adopt that too, actually. It hurts, beating yourself up when you don't have to. :-/

[golden-meliades.livejournal.com]

Actually, I did leave home early. Well, if 18 is early and college counts, anyway. And I was only home for a few months after college, then on my own again for years. I was forced home again, of course. Not that I'm unhappy here but it was for health reasons that I had to come back, since I couldn't hold down a normal job and that meant I couldn't possibly pay for a life in the city.

Hmm, fits me about 60% I'd say. I find that with horoscope/etc...anything with a personality profile, I can find several that fit me equally, so I never really buy into the profiles much. I can be cunning, yeah, but the difference between that and intelligence is minimal. You have to be pretty intelligent to be cunning. I hate parties, and people DO find me easy going in most circumstances but it's more because I don't really care than because I'm friendly/a people person.

I'm also a very confident person, which goes directly agains what it says about the horse.

So yeah, about sixty percent right, and the rest is REALLY far off. Isn't that always the way with that sort of thing? :)

For me a goal to be reasonable was getting kind of desperate. It HAD to be done. I was driving myself insane by not taking my circumstances into account. I mean, it's very hard to separate laziness from genuine exhaustion when you have a chronic fatigue situation.

You're goal oriented, and ambitious, I feel. I've NEVER been ambitious. Not even slightly, not in the way most people would define it. Look at the way I live my life! Lol :) I'm content to molder quietly out of the way where no one can see me at all. I just like to be in CONTROL, to have total say over what happens with ME. When I can't, I take control of any aspects I can still grab onto. Becoming tireder and tireder and gaining weight more and more easily makes me so farkin' ANGRY that I hurl myself against it to an unreasonable level.

Hence the decision to be more conscious of what is reasonable. :)

You're a naturally hard worker, I think. Not that being a hard worker isn't a conscious decision, it's just that working hard isn't an option that everyone considers seriously in most circumstances. Most people just take the middle road automatically rather than striving for the top, but you're a top-striver. :)

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I think LJ lets us do our resolutions any time the mood hits...why wait for an entire year? ^_^

Everyone is lazy when they are a teenager. I think it's the hormones...they prevent concentration. I think almost all teenagers are half-mad with PMS-like symptoms until they are 17 or so...then it starts to level out. So, it's not their fault (this is what I, as the mother of a teen, keep telling myself whenever I feel like shaking Char or one of her friends)...

[empath-eia.livejournal.com]

OMG MERI I got your present (finally, Vancouver's mail system is royally buggered right now because of the snow).

IT'S SO PRETTY

I have it on my keychain, already all chubby and sparkly with change. I get a big grin on my face every time I have to pull my keys out for something.

THANK YOU! :D ♥♥♥

*big hugs*

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Yay! Oh I'm so glad you like it! I knew you'd appreciate something from Japan. I had so much fun shopping for everyone while I was there. ^_^

[a-hollow-year.livejournal.com]

*SWOONS* I'd have to say this is my favorite dragon you've done because I just ADORE the color scheme you've used. It reminds me of the spirits that hang around the graves in Okami (or whatever they are, I always think of them as ghosts) so I get a paranormal vibe from it.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Hee! Really? I'm glad...I thought the purple on black would be too dark but somehow it worked.

Okami...I miss it! I want to plaaaay. Again.

[tricia612.livejournal.com]

The purple really stands out. It's considered a noble color in Japan - good choice.

Don't do resolutions anymore, they're too easy to break. I just try to keep long term goals in my sight.

I'm almost a classic Ox, don't know if that's good or bad....

Glad I'm not the only one who uses their signal. Dad drilled that in my head when I was learning and now that I know so many police, I know that they have their hiding places; they love to give out tickets to people not using their signal thinking no one is looking. It's the "I've got better things to do with my money than spend it on a damn ticket" mentality with me too.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Everyone seems to love purple. :-) My favorite color is weird. I can't quite explain it. It's the color of a wave when sunlight shines through it...sort of aqua I guess.

I'd be an Ox except it's not a very creative or emotional sign. I'm really very much a Snake (which is fortunate since I was born in the year of the snake). Odd thing; my zodiac sign is Scorpio & when you compare it to the Snake, the description is almost exactly the same. Double whammy for me!

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

I haven't done resolutions for a while. I never keep them, so what's the point? About the only thing I can think of is that there are some budgetary lists that got away from me that I'll start fresh. Other than that? More of the same.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

You & I are planners. If we actually HAD to come up with a once-a-year resolution it would drive us nuts.

[kls-eloise.livejournal.com]

Exactly. It's what makes me insane about having to set yearly goals at work. I HATE that.

WOW!

[ramblingrican.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Awesome colors!! You really outdid yourself!

I like more of goals rather than resolutions. More things of ideas to keep busy for the entire year rather than "lose more weight.. or eat more healthy".. Lord knows I won't do jack.. I mean.. I'll try but if I set myself early like that I'm totally going to fail. If I change my outlook entirely things will change around me :) That's how I see it anyway.

Re: WOW!

[merimask.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

I agree...I like goals too. My Daruma helps me with that. I can't wait for New Year's day to make promises to keep, though, because I do it all the time.

[(Anonymous)]

Ha. Ha. I did a resolution blog. Shoot me! And a healthy eating one too. Tie me up and hang. But I'm backing it up with lots of healthy recipes to share okay? Me, if I don't shout out my goals to the world, they just get buried and forgotten in my busy, messy life. I don't try to overdo and concentrate on one thing though (kind of like you, I suspect).

The mask is beautiful, strong but elegant. It's like Reina's keyholder. I can't get over how it is strong and beautiful and quite feminine. It's amazing the personality you give them.

[merimask.livejournal.com]

I like your resolution blog! It's always a good idea to write it all down somewhere in public...keeps you honest (and motivated).

I'm always making plans & setting goals, so to reserve that for one day a year would be impossible! It's like an addiction...

Aww, I'm glad you like Reina's dragon. I wanted to make something really personal for the kids. I know you said she liked yellow, so I thought the bright gold would be strong but feminine. Then I gave her dragon eyes that are MY favorite color 'cause I thought it'd be a pretty combination.

Do they wear them on their backpacks to school? I was hoping they could show 'em off that way. ^_^ So cute!!

[zannachan.livejournal.com]

I haven't posted a resolution yet but I'm going to take the next week or two to try to re-evaluate and adjust some things in my life. I think it's good to step back periodically and look at what you are doing and try to see what is working and what isn't, and reinforce what is working and try to change what is not. New Years is as good of an excuse as any--especially since at least for me the holidays are always this incredible insane blur of activity when I don't have 2 seconds together to just stop and think, so when they are done it's time to take a deep breath and assess where I ended up. Though there's no reason to not stop and take that assessment at any other time, especially times of transition such as in the spring or fall, or when starting or finishing a class or major project.

I don't do so much as resolutions (ie, "I plan to get into shape" or "lose 35 pounds" or "learn yoga") as kind of broader goals--to handle stress better, or get healthier, or be more productive or something, with some strategies of how to go about doing it. And I will probably post about it eventually.