Resolutions

The author

Happy New Year to you all!

First of all, thanks to every-one who came to the Marriott Grand Ballroom for our Grand Countdown! Thanks as well to everyone who attended the various countdown concerts at Resorts World Manila.

As always, many of us put together our list of New Year’s resolutions, a list of things that, by the second or third week of the new year, are not fulfilled. Perhaps it’s because what we write doesn’t seem realistic or sustainable. I mean, a crash diet right after the holidays is just difficult to maintain.

Therefore, I thought to create a list of my own resolutions, things that I need to remind myself to do as much as I can.

Untether myself from my devices. Well, not completely. There are uses for my mobile gear (I mean, I wrote this article on a tablet), but that doesn’t mean I should disappear into them.

More and more, people are connecting with one another less and less. I observe family dinners in restaurants, and while waiting for the food to arrive, everyone, without exception, is on a smartphone or tablet. There’s hardly any face-to-face interaction, no in-the-moment engagement.

So my resolution is to keep my phone in my purse when at dinner, and engage with my family or friends during our shared meals together. Given the amount of passings there were in the last year, it’s important to actually look into the eyes of those you love and express how you feel about them. Hugs in person are far better than those on Facebook.

Cultivate more tech-free pastimes. Late last year, I picked up a crochet hook and reacquainted myself with this lost art. My mother had taught me how to crochet when I was a little girl (all I remember making were lots of chains and one round thing), and I had done a project or two since, but for a long while, it was something I didn’t do. Until last year.

I’ve been searching for patterns via Pinterest and Google (a tad ironic, if you think about it), as well as going through crochet books. It helps pass the time at airports, and even rehearsals. And, by the time you’re done, you’ve made a little something to either keep or give away.

I won’t be ending my long-term relationship with my gaming console anytime soon, but some time away from it can only be a good thing.

Keep away from the negativity online. Over the course of the previous year, there has been so much hate online, whether as a result of presidential elections (both in the Philippines and in the United States) or an artist experiencing technical difficulties during a live television performance.

The feeding frenzy can be difficult to read through. Families have split up over the divisiveness of politics, and suddenly everyone has an opinion about how an artist is supposed to perform.

There are many sides to every story that appears on Facebook or Twitter. We can’t ever get the big picture, because we aren’t part of what took place.

Therefore, the one assumption I shall always make is that none of us knows the full story. There will always be two (or more) sides to the events that took place. We tend to hole ourselves up in our self-created echo chambers, hearing only the narrative that we want to hear. And to just take a step back and figure things out.

And yes, technical difficulties do happen despite everyone’s best efforts. Even on live TV.

Live a healthier, fitter life. No, this doesn’t need much explanation. All it means is this: More time at the gym, making better food choices, and doing whatever I can in order to live a longer, more fulfilling life. We’re not getting any younger.

Here’s hoping you all have a fantastic year ahead!