New Year Resolutions, and Other Made-up stuff...

Holidays are loaded for me for a number of reason, but one reason is that they come on the heals of a twelve-month triathalon. I imagine myself arriving at the finish line on December 31st, after doing the Iron Man; sweaty, exhausted, doubled-over and heaving, my body naturally want's to collapes or vomit (or both), and promptly take a trip to Figi. I wish I did'nt feel like this cus the feeling triggers the reminder; the New Year is here, and it is drumming it's fingers waiting for me to get with it. "Alright!, I'm coming- give me a chance to guzzle this disgusting elecorlite energy drink, and change these tread-bear jogging shoes wudd-ya.Gall!" Figi prompltly gets put on the "to do" list, along with the laundry. So much of our life is measured in time increments; four measly weeks turn into a month, and a month only happens twelve times-a-year. And, before I know it, I am compartmentalizing my life in these illusory chunks, skipping magical, potential-filled, singular moments of clear seeing with every chunk. This "New Year" I'm resolved to do nothing heroic or waisteline related (although even uttering this feels sacreligious), but rather, to simply observe the nature of mind more, and well-do a little more yoga too. Oh, yeah, easy for me to say! I took my dilema to a dear friend, asking of him any words of wisdom on the subject of what I might want to remember this year, "...read the book, What Makes You Not a Buddhist," he replied. I've started the book, and while its narrow binding would give one the impression of nothing-much-to-it, it offers a big bang for the buck. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, a Buddhist monk, and fimmaker, delivers a clear, and simple message, one of remembeing all our beleifs, conclusions, dogma's, fierce oppinions, rights & wrongs, shoulds & shouldn'ts, meanings, are just constructs; constructs that we built, and can (and will) be de-constructed in time. Beliefs of made-up-stuff we build a "me" around, and over time, solidify as we put more weight into these assembled conclusions, and we conveniently forget every-thing comes, and goes, and "I" am part this ever-shifting tide of changing phenomenon. My New Year mantra: Be present. Have mercy on myself when I am not. Kindness is timeless. Intend to remember no-thing is permanent, including me, my wasteline, and time. Cheers! Tarini