If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find

Hear, O children of the future, the solemn yet tender words of Cyril Cusack: “If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to find out who I am.” These are not the shallow wishes of one who seeks only comfort or pleasure, but the cry of a soul searching for truth. In an age when men and women vow to lose weight, to gain riches, or to cast aside bad habits, Cusack speaks instead of the highest quest—the journey inward, to discover the essence of the self. For what profit is there in conquering the world if one remains a stranger to one’s own heart?

The meaning of this saying is both simple and profound. A resolution is a promise to change, to strive toward a goal. Most resolutions bind themselves to the outer world: actions, appearances, and accomplishments. But Cusack pierces deeper. He reminds us that the greatest transformation lies not in reshaping the body or the circumstances, but in uncovering the mystery of identity. To find out who I am is the work of a lifetime, a pilgrimage not across lands but through the inner chambers of the soul.

Think of Socrates, the ancient sage who proclaimed, “Know thyself.” He taught that wisdom begins not with the conquest of others, but with the conquest of ignorance about oneself. The man who knows his own strengths, his own weaknesses, his own desires and fears—he alone is free. For without this knowledge, life is but drifting upon the sea, with no compass to steer by. Cusack’s resolution, then, echoes this eternal teaching: the noblest vow one can make is self-discovery.

Consider the story of Siddhartha, the prince who left his palace in search of truth. Surrounded by luxury, he still felt the gnawing emptiness of not knowing his purpose. He cast aside comfort and wandered the earth, until through trial and meditation he awakened as the Buddha. His journey was nothing less than the fulfillment of Cusack’s resolution: the resolve to find out who I am, not as the world names me, but as I truly am within.

Yet this path is not easy. The world clamors with noise, offering us masks to wear: success, failure, beauty, wealth, and reputation. Many live their whole lives hidden behind these masks, never daring to ask if they reflect the truth. But Cusack’s words call us to bravery. To seek one’s self is to risk stripping away illusions, to confront both shadow and light within. It is to discover not only one’s greatness, but also one’s frailty—and yet to love oneself as a whole.

The lesson is clear: make your resolutions not only of the flesh, but of the spirit. Seek health, yes; pursue knowledge, yes; but above all, vow to know yourself. For from self-knowledge comes direction, and from direction comes peace. The man or woman who knows themselves cannot be easily swayed by the judgments of others, nor lost in the storms of life. They stand rooted, as a tree whose roots reach deep into the earth.

Therefore, let us act. Begin the year not only with lists of tasks, but with quiet reflection. Ask: Who am I? What do I truly value? What fears drive me? What dreams call to me? Write these down, wrestle with them, revisit them. And let each year bring you closer to answering Cusack’s vow. For the greatest resolution is not one that ends with December, but one that endures for a lifetime—the sacred resolution to discover, and to become, one’s truest self.