A New Year's Wish

The holiday season is almost over, and I hope that each of my readers had a wonderful time with family and friends. I realize, however, that quite possibly, that was not the case, especially regarding our HPs. And so, my motto for the New Year is simply this:

"I can't change my HP, but I can change my response to my HP."

I will never have to power to fix my mom, make her different, or even bargain with her to lasting change. I can, and have, spent years trying to do these things with no effect. However, the second I set about to change ME, my mother seemed to change to.

I can't promise that if you change how you respond to your HP that they will change. However, I can promise that when you turn your energies inward to changing the only person you can effectively make better, you will care less about your HP's neuroses. Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not suggesting that you won't care about their mess and their mental health issues, their wonderful stranger encounters, etc.

There is great peace and a sense of empowerment when you know that you are doing the best you can for you, and letting the others struggle on their own. Life won't be perfect, but it will be better.

And so, my wish for you as we prepare to enter the New Year, is this:

Commit yourself so fully to self-improvement that you have no time to criticize others.

(paraphrase from "The Optimist Creed" by Christian D. Larsen)

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