Living Life To The Fullest: A New Year Resolution

Every new year comes with a lot of hope, expectations, and dreams. Though practically nothing changes. The date simply flips from 31st December to 01st January. The calendar on the wall gets replaced. That’s all. Everything else remains the same. Still, psychologically, we feel as if something great is going to happen in our lives.

We, human beings are always excited to peek into the future and expect it to be much superior than today. It is our nature. A new year gives us one more opportunity to imagine how our lives are going to change for the better.

On 01st January, many of us keep resolutions. And by 07th, most of these get vanished in the thin air.  We all know this. Still, we keep resolutions and keep breaking them year after year. Everyone does this. It is human behavior. 

The most common resolutions are:-

1. Quit smoking

2. Reduce weight

3. Wake up early in the morning

4. Save money

5. Live life to the fullest

Out of these resolutions, the last one is a bit philosophical but the most essential. Many have realized that they have to live life fully. We have understood the impermanent nature of life. We are aware that we are not going to be here eternally. Knowing this itself is a great awakening. However, most of us fail to follow this in our daily lives.

The apathy is that just like other resolutions, the desire to live life fully dies in the next few days.

Why do most of the resolutions fail to execute?

It is human psychology. We resist change. We are happy in the same state as we are. To execute resolution, one has to make it a daily habit. It has to become part of the daily routine. And to live life to the fullest has such a profound impact on life, that it has to be the only thought for each moment. Hence it needs a lot of practice and cultivation of raw mind.

Years ago I too was entangled in this resolution cycle. Kept many, and missed many, but not anymore.

In due course of time; through my life experiences, reading, and practicing meditation, I have realized that the resolution to live life to the fullest cannot be an annual ritual. It has to be practiced every moment.

Rather than having a yearly resolution, I now prefer to have a daily resolution. It starts right from the time I wake up till I go to bed. Every moment I try to observe my thoughts and keep a watch on how I am behaving in that situation. If I see that I am not on the correct path, I amend the way I think and act and keep applying corrections till I change my thought process and behavior.

I call it a behavioral feedback loop.

Observe your thoughts, scrutinize your behavior, and if found wrong, apply corrections and improvise. Keep repeating till you become perfect.

I have derived a formula to live life to the fullest. It works for me. It goes like this:-

1. Every day I wake up with the thought that today is my last day on this planet and then try to live every moment with this thought. Living with this feeling automatically kills many vices like ego, hatred, and jealousy, and makes me lighter and happier.

2. The other aspect I live by is having an “attitude of gratitude” towards the supreme power for bestowing me such a wonderful life.

3. And then the rest is just breathing

Everyone can live life to the fullest. It is all in the mind.

The awakened Buddha said, "Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes."