IT’S that time of year when promises are made to oneself and promises broken.
The tradition of new year promises is one we seem to grasp yet not take too seriously.
Every year it is the same story. People talk about not drinking so much alcohol, getting fit, behaving better, saving up for some much sought-after gift or even manufacturing a boring old bucket list.
These pledges should perhaps be overlooked if we wish to be honest with ourselves, family or friends.
The thing is, we all know that it often takes an illness for a heavy drinker or smoker to change their ways.
It often takes a terrifying incident on the road or a major loss of points for a driver to realise they must be more patient and take their foot off the accelerator.
Maybe – rather than making public statements that we have no intention of pursuing – we should aim for something less dramatic but perhaps more easily achieved.
Why not try a little harder to show kindness, gratitude and courtesy in our everyday lives.
These are tremendously important attributes yet are relatively easy to achieve.
Kindness is more than paying for a stranger’s coffee at the drive-through. It is measured by how we treat strangers, how we treat visitors and how we treat each other.
It can be measured by simply doing something for the greater good.
We are often tested in times of crisis. Even how we conduct ourselves in times of celebration and especially when we are under stress or feel aggrieved or imposed upon are measures of our personalities.
Over the weeks leading into the Christmas-New Year period our community has seen many examples of good-hearted behaviour.
Look at the tireless efforts of those battling bushfires locally and across the state. Big-hearted rural fire brigade volunteers work long hours at their regular jobs and remain on call to respond in a crisis.
Gratitude is just as important as kindness and even though some days it might seem there’s not much to be thankful for, there is always someone on every street and in every neighbourhood who deserves a thank you.
Every time we hear that a fire has been brought under control, that someone helped out in a flood or car accident, we should remember how lucky we are that someone cared enough to put their hand up for a hard task.
