Take a cue from the movies
Have you seen Lord of the Rings? For those of you who have not, it isn't just a movie about war and nationalism, but about human values. And that's something to bear in mind when making your new year's resolutions.
New year's resolutions are often about resisting temptations. How do the two connect? Well, think about Gollum. Because of the evil temptation of the ring, he killed his best friend and lived a life of ruin. If he had been able to resist this temptation, he would have lived a fruitful and happy life.
Hoping to drop some kilos this year? Control your diet, don't let junk food and laziness tempt you. Be determined. Do not rely on unnatural products like slimming pills. Take inspiration from Gandalf. Although a powerful wizard, he fought with his own hands in the battle against the Orcs instead of using his supernatural powers.
And take the initiative to find the spirit to work hard at school. Without Aragon rallying all the forces around and motivating everyone, the Orcs would have won easily. No company can succeed without team spirit and co-operation among the staff. In school, no house can win a competition without support from all the house members. We all can do our best to boost morale.
Thirdly, be positive and maintain hope in face of adversity. In the Lord of the Rings, people and soldiers were worn down by the war; it seemed impossible for them to defeat the Orcs and to restore peace. However, Aragon and Gandalf didn't give up hope and eventually won the battle against darkness and evil. In reality, people tend to despair in the face of terror and difficulties, but if we can always see things with hope, there'll always be a light at the end of the tunnel.
This movie is totally worth watching even if it is 3?-hours long. If you can see beyond the action scenes, you will understand the true message of the story, and learn a valuable message about how to start your new year meaningfully.
Pulcheria is a regular SYP columnist
