Ways to achieve the ultimate resolution: Being happy

New Year’s resolution:
Be happy.

In all the hustle and bustle of college, work and life we forget to take care of ourselves. Sometimes what we may be achieving in school may not be keeping us mentally and emotionally balanced. As college students the prospect of our education and future can be daunting, so much that sometimes we forget to be happy.

Many New Year’s resolutions consist of saving money, losing weight or getting better grades, but this year I encourage you all to aim at just being happier. So, I’ve come up with 10 things we should give up doing in order to reach that goal.

1. Give up being right all the time:
You are not always going to be right, so stop trying. There are some things you will never be right about so accept it and move on. The more you try to be right in every situation, the more you may hurt the people around you. A very large ego is to blame for this and if you keep trying, you will never win in the end.

2. Give up the need for power and control:
Now, I’m not saying you can’t take control when it’s needed, but don’t always drive to be the one in charge of every situation. There are two reasons for this: One, if something goes wrong that happens to be out of your control, you will be blamed or you will be extremely unhappy with it. Two, the people around you that you are trying to control, will leave you with nothing. Whether it’s one of these or both, the situation will end badly because some things are not meant to be controlled. Let things be.

3. Give up pointing fingers:
Stop blaming other people, things and situations. Take responsibility for your own life and decisions. I’m not saying to blame yourself for everything but think of the possible consequences or rewards before you act. Ultimately, most things will be your own fault, but oftentimes things happen that we don’t expect and you can’t blame yourself for everything either. Try to be accepting and move forward.

4. Give up negativity:
Try to look on the bright side. I know sometimes it can be extremely hard to look at the positive side of a situation but there always is one. I’m not saying try to pretend it never happened but accept that something bad happened and try to have an open mind about moving forward. Don’t be so hard on yourself. The more positive you are the more positive the people around you will be as well.

5. Give up the need to impress others:
OK, we’ve dealt with this issue for how many years since kindergarten? The peer pressure, the way we look, the way we act, the way we talk. It is over. We are all adults now and do not need to impress anyone. If doing things similar to someone else makes you feel good then great — as long as you are doing it for yourself and not because of other people’s opinions. You have to get over that.

6. Give up shallow beliefs:
We all have different beliefs. These beliefs can stem from religion, culture, family, friends and even the media. But what you can’t do is hate everyone else’s beliefs. Imagine yourself at the opposite end of that belief and maybe you will find yourself less negative.

7. Give up on your fears:
Everyone is afraid of something, but do not let fear hinder you from doing the things you strive or love to do. I’m not talking about being afraid of spiders. I’m talking about the fear to take chances and the fear to go outside of your comfort zone. If you have a dream and your fear is holding you back, forget about it and pursue your dream.

8. Give up on resisting change:
Change is inevitable. We have all heard it, and we have all experienced it. Change makes the world grow, and without it, we would never be where we are today. I can’t say change always seems like it’s for the better but good things will come out of it. Change typically happens to fulfill a need, and finding a way to accept it will be easier than trying to run from it.

9. Give up complaining:
This one relates directly to giving up negativity. Stop complaining about everything bad going on with your life, but don’t brag either. Just humbly accept what you have, be proud of it and move on. Don’t dwindle on things for too long and wish you could change it because you can’t.

10. Give up the past:
This is the big one. Give up the past. Some people can do it but many people can’t. This plays a huge role in the previous nine things I’ve listed. Your past makes who you are — good or bad — but you have learned from it whether you know it or not. Obviously you can’t just forget everything. What you can do is not let your past stop you from growing in the present and future. Not just the bad things, but the good things too. New and good things will come from it.


Masami Wadama is a sophomore in business marketing. The opinions expressed in her columns do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Barometer staff. Wadama can be reached at forum@dailybarometer.com.