Less is more...

It is a week into the New Year. I breathe a sigh of relief; the Christmas decorations are stashed, I've accumulated a box of no longer treasured momentoes to be dropped off at a thrift store, my "Thank You" notes are written...Yes, I am feeling pretty good about myself and then I step on the scale in the bathroom. "Yikes!" I exclaim as I jump off and back away .
It happens every year (those pesky pounds), but it still manages to come as a shock when I see them displayed in black and white. "Drat!" I mutter, glancing at the mirror and hoping it isn't watching. There is no denying that "Lumpy" is bad when found in a bed, in gravy, or on a body.     
Quickly I move away from the mirror, deciding I would rather converse with myself than have the mirror bring it up, having some time ago realized it is no longer my friend when it became rather bold in it's asserting it's negative opinions about me in our chance meetings.   
There was a time, in past years, when I made a long list of my "Resolutions", but that turned into one more thing that ultimately mocked me, since I failed at most of them.  
I do believe in goal setting, and have had some success's with accomplishing them. But, the yearly charting of goals at the New Year, for me, is like being assigned a ghostly taskmaster to follow me around, assuring me I will be making most of them again in a year - having been unfulfilled.  And, I have to give him credit - he's been right in his predictions much of the time. Of course, he is simply stating the obvious; emotionally driven goals are doomed to futility, opposite of goals that are rational, decidedly manageable, and can be willed into being after disciplines are established that will make them possible to attain.   
So, I begin this year with just three resolutions. One is to reach higher in my spiritual life. The second is to make each day count. And, the third is to grab hold of the ideas that come to me; that I believe are the essential part of what makes the human animal unique and very special to our Maker. 
Somehow, in the simplicity of less being more, I feel pretty optimistic about attaining more of the goals that used to comprise my long lists. And, my "Amen" to attaining success is when I remember that one of the Holy Spirit's names is "Helper".  How wonderful to not have to do it alone!