An Ironic Tradition

The definition of resolution reads: A firm decision to do or not to do something. How ironic is it that resolution plays a major part in a tradition "practiced" worldwide? The word practice rests between quotes because it helps us understand why this holiday tradition is so ironic.

The holiday being spoke of is New Years, of course. We all become dazzled at the idea of creating resolutions for ourselves at the dawn of a new year. This tradition plays into our need to feel good or better than we were before, if I may. We are always seeking improvement in ourselves. But do we truly revel in improvement, or just the idea of improvement?

New Years resolutions are ironic in a humorous way that provokes subconscious sadness. A new year beckons us all to make ourselves new in some way. A way that requires us to rid our lives of the bad and embrace the good. Happily, we all conjure up resolutions for the new year that in some way, make us better people, leading better lives. The only thing we fail to achieve is actually standing firmly by our resolutions. Which is what makes the existence of New Years resolutions quite ironic. Maybe all the time spent aspiring to make lifestyle changes prevents us from actually being able to carry out those changes. Or maybe, subconsciously, we actually have no desire to change.