Presidency Message

The New Year almost invariably brings New Year resolutions. According to Webster, the word "resolution" has several meanings. I thought that I would comment on each, starting with the last one and work my way up to the first meaning. The last connotation for the word "resolution" is the point in a literary work at which the chief dramatic complication is worked out. This is something we all strive for as writers, and hopefully in our lives. What could be more wonderful than to work out all your complications?

The fourth meaning is a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent voted by an official body or assembled group. This is another form of the word that ANWA sisters in positions of leadership deal with from time to time.

Third is something that is "resolved" or the "firmness of resolve." I love the meaning listed for the word "resolve" ~ to deal with successfully, to clear up doubts or a dispute, to find an answer, to make clear or understandable, to find a mathematical solution and to reach a firm decision about something.

The second meaning suggested is "the subsidence of a pathological state." Huh? Yeah, I wondered about that one also. Subsidence is taken from subside and in this case pathological equates with abnormal. Yeah, that's a good one... I'm all for having abnormal states subside.

The first meaning, saved for the last, is one I had not really considered and yet, I am finding that I like this one most. I am going to list it as the dictionary does: the act or process of reducing to simpler form: as

1. the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones
2. the act of answering: solving
3. the act of determining
4. the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance
5. the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents
6. (1): the division of a prosodic element into its component parts
   (2): the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable
7. the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum
8. the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light.

Sisters, as we consider our New Year Resolutions for our writing and for our lives, might I suggest that we reduce things in our life to their simplest form? [You may want to refer to the previous paragraph as I go from definitions a-h]

1. ~ analyze those things that have become too complex in our lives and bring them down into a simpler form, learn to delegate and share the load with others. Let's not make ourselves crazy with making the simplest thing into a big production. The lessons we teach, the desserts we bring, the school costume we make... can all be done without consuming our lives at the expense of something more important
2. ~ look for the answers and solutions; perhaps searching for them in the scriptures
3. ~ determine exactly what your goals are, get very clear on this; if you don't know what your goal looks like and feels like, it will be rather difficult to attain
4. ~ this part of the definition really intrigued me so I looked up dissonant and found the exact meaning to be discordant, incongruous and harmonically unresolved. Whereas consonant means being in agreement or harmony, free from elements of discord. Interesting. I like that. Let's make that change where and if needed
5. ~ this chemical definition, separating a compound into its constituents makes me think of the saying about the best way to eat an elephant is one bite at time. Let's do that, break things down into manageable bits-sized tasks
6. ~ this part of the definition is similar to the last one, dividing and conquering, so to speak
7. ~ I really like this one ~ reminds me of the term synergy: two elements or participants working together so that the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual effects. Or in other words, "Help thy brother's boat across and lo, thine own has reached the shore." One of the things I love about ANWA is everyone's willingness to help each other
8. ~ and this last definition is actually quite lovely, I thought ~ the process or capability of making distinguishable the individual parts of an object, closely adjacent optical images, or sources of light.

Please send email to admin@anwa-lds.com if you have any questions.