New Year's Resolutions

Life is divided into the horrible and the miserable.
Woody Allen

Life is divided into those who make new year’s resolutions and those who do not. I am in the first group.

Some years I am very casual about the process. I ponder. I reflect. I think of a few changes that are due. Other years, I am more methodical. I try to disassemble the whole of my life into smaller parts, and examine them with care.

Some years I go so far as to put my resolutions or goals in writing. Like many, I keep these private. I would not want these secrets to fall into enemy hands. Introspection can be scary.

To me, resolutions are part of a healthy psychological balance. They reflect some measure of hope and confidence in the possibility of growth and improvement. My best days are still to come.

Here is to better days to all of you.

Man Up!

Every tough stretch is an opportunity to learn
and to display manhood. Charlie Munger

When my son and his friends seek to hold each other accountable, they use the phrase, Man up. What does it mean to man up?

As I have grown older, my notion of manliness has changed profoundly. When I think of a model for being a man, my father-in-law comes to mind. He has a sense of independence that is born out of not having to please others. He is passionate and compassionate. He listens without casting judgment and freely expresses his love.

Once, manliness was defined and shaped by physical strength, attractiveness, and financial success. Those qualities seem oddly disconnected from, and unrelated to, what it takes to man up.

When times get tough, and my son needs to display manhood, I will remind him of what it takes to man up by simply reminding him of his grandfather.