Need Some Resolution Suggestions?

N3 World Headquarters crew poses a few challenges

“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering 'it will be happier'...”Alfred Lord Tennyson

We at N3 World Headquarters like Al’s imagery here, seemingly speaking to how the advent of a New Year can deliver an unwavering optimism going forward. It feels like a fresh beginning, a way to start a streak of something positive. The possibility could be hanging out there that this might be the year where you wind up sitting around next NYE saying,”Man, now That was a good year.”
Then of course there are the resolutions that accompany the new calendar. For the overly ambitious group  this might take the shape of something like “We’re  going to be smarter when it comes to decisions, take charge of any remaining shortcomings and enter a veritable renaissance period  in our personal lives.”
For others the bar gets set a little lower. Lose some weight,  exercise, or maybe stop pointing out to your spouse each and every one of the lone, abandoned shoes spotted alongside  the roadsides…that kind of thing.
While personally the  list of needed changes among the denizens of N3WH is more than a tad cumbersome it certainly doesn’t stop us from passing on suggestions as to resolutions that might be put forward for those in  the community at large who might be in search of a challenge to go with their New Year.

Doing More To Support Local
While we hope folks did at least a part of their holiday shopping at the variety of shops our area is pleased to enjoy, most of our local businesses are entering the toughest part of the year. We’re not asking for people to engage in the kind of buying generally reserved for November/ December, but hey, maybe visit a few of our local establishments now and then and see if anything catches your fancy. Believe me any action at the main street stores in Newaygo and Fremont will be greatly appreciated and help allow them to continue to be part of our increasingly vibrant downtowns. 
And remember these folks get hit up for every fundraising initiative that comes along so maybe give them a break if they aren’t thrilled to contribute to the latest worthy cause

Listening To Others
Start with catching at least a few of the lunchtime Calvin  January Series the Dogwood will be hosting. The topics are generally compelling and the speakers present ideas in an easy to relate to manner that promotes listening. And if there is anything we need more these days it’s the ability to listen. 
Note: Is it me or do you find the people who fancy themselves  good listeners rarely even come close? 
Do yourself a favor and look through these. Then pick at least one you’re really interested in and another  that sounds like you wouldn’t be quite so eager to see.
 See them both. Trust us on this.
Oh, and they are FREE. 
https://calvin.edu/january-series/speakers/
https://dogwoodcenter.com/

Gaining Perspective
Now combine this with taking breaks from not just social media but any news program that includes opinions. In fact if you must see the news, try restricting it to local stations.Give it a shot for a month with no cheating by sneaking in a few minutes with your favorite opinion person or station. Sounds scary if you’ve been caught up in what is happening in the world and have a compelling need to know, but anything really big ends up being referenced locally because they also need to fill time between commercials. 
And it is only a month. A month to focus on the news that might actually have an impact on our day to day lives. Like weather. Gauging the difficulty of doing this is a good self measure of how attached one is to the programming and the weight of its influence. As a bonus if you are going with the Dry January thing it’s likely a good month to wean from the all-news all-the-time stations anyway since their coverage can certainly send one to the liquor cabinet. 

Like most resolutions these are likely to be forgotten long before any snow we accumulate this year has melted (or even arrived). But should you join us in giving one or more of these a shot we applaud your efforts.
If not, carry on citizenry. Our hope is that we all find some achievement, some growth, some laughter and a dollop or two of kindness as we venture out into 2024.

​“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.”-Ben Franklin

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