It is the time of year that many of us make New Year’s Resolutions. As the snows have melted and the weather has warmed, tiny spears of spring-green shoots from the bulbs that I planted in the Autumn are now starting to appear in the garden.
It is a time of the year to reflect on some of the natural cycles as we (in the Northern Hemisphere) move from shorter, darker days to longer, brighter days. We also have the confluence of a New Political Cycle, a New Decade, a New Earth Year as well as many companies having New Financial Years. The beginning of the current cycle is also probably one the most fundamental shifts that we have seen in a while – exacerbated by the very cold winter spells and financial crisis. Some would see it as a the start of a revolution with the new coalition government (in the UK) which is set on decentralisation and localisation.
It is strange that the term “revolution” has become to be associated more with revolt than with revolving. Yet the two ideas of revolution and resolution are inextricably linked. Yet there is only one letter that is different in each word and that one letter changes everything:
From my own point of view, I have one New Year’s Resolution: I have resolved to reduce my body weight. Nothing new there, you might say! After the excessive eating I have done over the holiday period, I now weigh more than I have ever done. The position is unsustainable and I have now decided to go on a diet. But a diet with a difference. Actually, I prefer to call it conscious living, rather than dieting.
I have downloaded this great application onto my i-Phone called My Fitness Pal (www.myfitnesspal.com) and I am already shedding pounds – just by being conscious about (and recording) everything I eat in the day.
So by becoming conscious of the food we eat (and where it comes from), we can really make a difference – one letter at a time.
In a sense, mankind weighs more on the planet than it has ever done:
- More people on the planet than history has ever seen
- More consumption of raw materials (especially oil)
- More overweight people than we have ever seen
- More pressures of financial debt than we have seen in several ifetimes
Perhaps it is time for us all to start living more consciously…
Perhaps this is the start of the real revolution….
Anyway, the good thing about the beginning (and end) of any new year is that it makes you think…
