As we prepare in anticipation for the New Year, I am reminded of how this time is great for taking a personal inventory and making resolutions for improvements such as eating healthier, meditating more often, and getting along with difficult people. This has remained a tradition for the past eighty years or more based on the correspondence between Edgar Cayce and the people for whom he gave readings which are available in the background documentation and reports of the readings.

One woman shared her New Year's resolutions for 1940 with Mr. Cayce. Report 464-29 documents her letter and Mr. Cayce's response including his resolution for the New Year.  

Mrs. 464: I have made two resolutions for the New Year...no swearing or calling any one any bad names, and when I told Bee [her daughter] she gave me a scornful look and said "you know right well, the first time you catch sight of Mrs. Yitherington, you will forget all about resolutions and the air will be full of brimstone." ...Mrs. Yitherington is...somewhat of a liar and with a few screws loose here and there. She lives next door and gets on my nerves... The sight of her is like shaking a red rag at a bull.

So I began to take stock of myself. Seeing that it is the time of the year to make resolutions, hoping that by diligent practicing I could overcome my tendencies of the use of expressive language on short time order... My greatest fear will be forgetfulness and a throw back. I am sorry to say that I lack spiritual refinement...

To which Mr. Cayce replied: Your New Years' resolutions are very interesting to say the least–and tho you might under stress as Bee says skip over and let loose before you realized it. The try is the thing—am very sure for most of us if God doesn't count our trying-for-righteousness—we will all fall very far short—but am persuaded HE does just that. So am sure you will find a great deal of fun also in your experiment─ may we call it, but am sure a lot of help will come to you for the try.

...my one New Years' resolution is to eat whatever they set before me–without remarks as to what [I] would like to have had—guess the Madam [Mrs. Cayce] does get tired of complaints—so here is hoping no more from me. Don't know how long will hold out—can dream—and try at least can't I...

Just hope you have a lot of fun holding on to your resolution...

With all good wishes—and hoping all the good things you have wished for come to you with the New Year.

Sincerely, Edgar Cayce

All of us at Edgar Cayce's A.R.E. wish you the very best in the New Year. May all the good things you have wished for come true.