Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Michael Craig
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo / Michael Craig
COMMENT
Another year has arrived.
Are you sighing in frustration? Or excited for the fresh start? As expected with the season, resolutions have been getting a lot of 'air time' in the media. The result, a deep divide in the 'for' and 'against' camps.
Resolutions seem to materialise as copious amounts of exercise, cutting calorie consumption and waking at 5am. They have become monopolised by gyms and juice cleanses and reek of sad promises unfilled.
With the first Indulge issue of the year, I felt we should reflect on some goals for 2019.
But these are not typical ones. They are resolutions that are a bit more meaningful than fitting into our old jeans without popping the button.
Here's how I propose we live smart this year:
1. Stop critiquing people on their image instead of their ideas. When Jacinda Ardern or Simon Bridges deliver a speech, I would love to hear valid critique or commentary only on their opinions. That is rather than their success losing baby weight or the amount of gel in their hair. These fixations distract us from what is really important.
2. Maintaining our curiosity. Never before has the media played such an integral role in our lives. We receive news not just through the paper but through online apps and social media. We need to maximise this tool to widen the scope of our surroundings. Education is powerful.
Mount Maunganui born Lilli Scott. Photo / Supplied
3. Act on our discussions about gender equality. Never before has the word feminism been so prominent in New Zealand public discourse. In 2017, the word feminism was coined "word of the year" by online dictionary Merriam-Webster. In 2019, we should focus on continuing to act on this new rhetoric till we reach our goal of equality. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we do not live in a post-feminism world. It is still a work in progress.
4. Role model environmentally conscious behaviour. While millennials are making waves with their love for Keep Cups — there is always more to do. Especially for us ladies and our cosmetics. Remember that every time you save yourself from having to shower by using dry shampoo, the aerosol can eventually ends up in a landfill. The little things do really make an impact.
5. Be grateful. While I may appear to be dripping in cynicism, we are so fortunate. We live in a country we can voice our opinions and publish this paper without censorship. It may be so much easier to focus on the things that are going wrong in our lives, but being grateful can really shift your perspective. Let this year be the year that we feel abundant and rich through being thankful for what we have.
• Writer Lilli Scott is a former journalism intern at NZME, dux of Aquinas College, and proud recipient of the University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship. Now studying English and Politics at Otago, with dreams of one day being a foreign correspondent, Mount Maunganui born Lilli writes monthly for Indulge
