I have belonged to the same exercise club for a few years, and the new year always brings with it a strange phenomenon. I exercise regularly all year without ever having any trouble getting on any of the machines. However, in the month of January the place becomes incredibly crowded with faces I have never seen there before. All of a sudden it's hard to get the machines I want when I want them.

I'm sure this yearly ritual is attributed to people's resolutions which often include losing weight and getting into shape. In the month of January, and sometimes for a couple of weeks into February this resolution seems to be in action for a lot of people. However, towards the end of February the people seem to go back to their old habits of not exercising and I get my choice of machines back.

The reason that resolution fails for so many people is because they think that becoming slim and in shape is going to resolve other problems, anxieties, and fears. People think that if they look good, then feeling good is a given. They soon learn that looking good comes at a price, and that it doesn't cure the real problem that lies within themselves.

This year instead of resolving to make changes on the outside for all the world to see, find a way to make changes on the inside where only you and God can see the changes. Those are the changes that will bring contentment and peace in your soul. Those are the changes that over time reveal true beauty, which is the kind of beauty the world cannot ignore.

Happy New Year!