Resolutions Time

A new year has dawned upon us and ‘tis time when resolutions are made. Most of which broken by this time of the year. So instead of making resolution for a year, me decided to make some resolutions for the future (no time frame). And helping me in framing the words is a famous playwright from some centuries back. 

Give thy thoughts no tongue,

Nor any unproportion'd thought his act.

Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.

Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,

Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;

But do not dull thy palm with entertainment

Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware

Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in,

Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.

Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;

Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.

Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,

But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;

For the apparel oft proclaims the man,

And they in France of the best rank and station

Are of a most select and generous, chief in that.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be;

For loan oft loses both itself and friend,

And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man. 

These were the words of wisdom imparted by Polonius onto his son Laertes as he is leaving for France to attend university, covering a whole gamut of subjects from friendships to fighting to finances (Hamlet Act I, Scene III). Though written over four centuries ago, the words still hold good, although some of the contexts may have changed. So on the lines of Shakespeare, here are my resolutions. 

1. Listen to varied opinions but do not put anything on any social media without verifying it through other sources. And certainly not indulge in hate-mongering. 
2. Be financially prudent. Not be a miser nor a spendthrift. Save first and then spend. Invest after due research and not just a hunch or a tip. Do not get swayed by any get-rich-quick-schemes nor panic on every news event. Keep track of the finances. 
3. Do not procrastinate. But on the other hand, do look before you leap. Many things sort themselves out with time but many go worse as well.
4. Spend time with those who really matter. Take more holidays. 
5. Do my bit to save the environment.
6. Keep Learning.
7. And finally “to thine own self be true”. The most important one. After all everything else falls in line after this.

Cheers to a new year and new resolutions