A Goat's Guide To The New Year

Of course the New Year ALWAYS brings with it this idea of 'resolutions'. To my way of thinking, resolutions are kind of useless. I mean, if they worked, would we need to keep making them year after year? So, this year I thought I would just present you with some 'Peanuts for thought' - some conclusions I came to during 2009 that will guide me forward instead of backward. After all, going backward just doesn't get you anywhere does it? So with that, here are my thoughts. It is my hope that they may help point you toward a better 2010.

1) With all the hype one sees in the media about 'perfection', one should come to realize that who you are is much more important than what you are. Who cares if your ears stick out straight? Know that you are beautiful on the inside and that, when all is said and done, you will have the last laugh. Looks don't last forever, but a beautiful soul shines on.

2) Don't always keep the best Peanuts for yourself. Sometimes it just feels better to give. Sometimes giving is where it's at.

3) Don't be afraid to 'love someone from a distance'. You can still acknowledge them without having them ruin or run your life. Nobody said that 'turning the other cheek' had to mean hurting yourself.

4) Realize that you are 'good enough'. Remember that line about 'God don't make no junk'?

5) Know that you are ALWAYS in exactly the place you ought to be. There's ALWAYS another Peanut just around the bend, even if someone just stepped on the last one.

6) If someone butts you, know that you can still pick yourself up (particularly if you are Watson), dust off all the bits of hay and goat berries, and TRY again. There are ALWAYS more Peanuts. Besides, eventually the greedy get full.

7) Always remember that in order to help anyone else you have to help yourself first. That doesn't mean you have to be first in line for the Peanuts and push others out of the way. Nope. It just means that it is okay to love yourself too. After all, if 'you' were someone else, wouldn't you treat 'them' much better than you often treat yourself??? I rest my case. So be your own BFF.

8) It is okay to stand on your stump and relax once in awhile. Life isn't always about work. Of course not! It's all about the Peanuts.

9) Remember what someone else thinks isn't all that important. Value your opinion and your judgment. Besides, in the end it's you that has to savor the taste of that Peanut. What does it matter if someone else thinks 2008 was a better year for growing if the 2009 ones taste better to you?

10) Never get overwhelmed by what you have to do. Don't look at the entire bale of hay. Take it a few mouthfuls at a time.

So there you have it. May your New Year hold the promise of Peanuts to come and the joys of living life to its fullest. And may you receive fewer butts in 2010 than you had to endure in 2009. " We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called 'Opportunity' and its first chapter is New Year's Day." - Edith Lovejoy Pierce