I Promise not to resolve.

I was asked yesterday what my New Year resolutions were. The answer was simple I had promised not to resolve anything that I knew I would forget very soon.

This is the time of the year when gyms sell more new memberships than any other time of year. Membership of groups helping you lose weight increase in number, but they soon go back to where they were before.

Please do not get me wrong I do from time to time promise myself I will do something but I do so always at a time when I have a very real desire to do just that, not because I feel the need because others are doing similar.

This way I find that because I really do want to make changes I will be motivated to do so. 

There is a beautiful true Zen story that tells of just such an example. 

The great Zen teacher, Benzei had many pupils. 

One day, one of them was caught stealing by his fellow-students and they reported him to Benzei. 

But he took no action against the boy. 

A few days later the same boy was again caught stealing. 

And again Benzei did nothing. 

This angered the other students who drew up a petition asking for the dismissal of the thief. They threatened to leave en masse if the boy was allowed to stay. 

The teacher called a meeting of the students. When they had assembled he said to them:

 “You are good boys who know what is right and what is wrong. If you leave you will have no trouble in joining some other school. But what about your brother who does not even know the difference between right and wrong? Who will teach him if I don’t? No, I cannot ask him to go even if it means losing all of you." 

Tears coursed down the cheeks of the boy who had stolen. 

He never stole again and in later life became renowned for his integrity. 

If  we decide to change something of our lives we are unhappy with it is good to have the strength and friendship of others to make them become reality. 

I hope your new year resolutions are going well, if you need a friend to help!