This post begins a series of posts inspired by books and articles I've read, movies I've seen and seminars I've attended. The theme of all these pieces relate to life evaluation. Identifying where you are, where you want to be and how to get there.
At 31, I'm fairly content with my life, but that's no reason not to want more! I do not believe the statement "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" applies to all aspects of life. Even if a part of your life is clicking along fairly decently, there's nothing wrong with making it better.
Thus, I start with my gratitude list. This idea was inspired from watching the movie, based on the book, The Secret. I’ll admit that when I heard the book generally talked about, I was a bit cynical at first. Getting things in life by just thinking about them? Nothing’s quite that easy. Well, after watching the movie, I realized it wasn’t quite as simplistic as that, but I won’t go into quantum physics, etc. here. Incidentally, the movie was very interesting and had a lot of guest speakers who have lead me to other books that I have started reading.
I am grateful for:
a supportive mother who always believed I could and made sure I knew it.
a sister who loves me no matter what and will always be my first defender as well as my “what about this?” voice.
friends who laugh with me, cry with me, play with me and work with me.
a crazy cat that isn’t codependent.
the ability to heal from life’s minor and major setbacks, both physically and emotionally.
the endurance to finish a 60-mile bike ride. Soon 100 miles!
an inquiring mind that always wants to know more.
books to read on every subject imaginable, from the serious to the fluffy.
the ability to support myself independent of anyone.
the ability to recognize when I need help and ask for it.
This is a good starting place. There are a lot of things in my life that make me feel grateful. Hopefully, I’ll be adding to them soon.
Another note about The Secret… When I watched the movie, there were many guest speakers participating in the video. I really liked what several of them had to say, so I checked some of their books out of the library.
The Dreaming Universe by Fred Alan Wolf
The Spiritual Universe by Fred Alan Wolf
Harmonic Wealth by James Arthur Ray
Friday, October 10, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Dear World...
It seems to me that the world has become extraordinarily unbalanced in recent years. How can there be so many with so little while a small number have an overabundance. And before anyone starts thinking socialism, etc. Let's look at some other aspects of life.
For example, here in the US we have over 60% of adults over 20 are either overweight or obese (by a questionable unit of measure, but still...). In other words, we eat too much. Anyone who has made any effort to lose weight knows that basic formula for weight loss is calories in must be less than calories expended. In other words, you have two ways to lose weight. Move more or eat less. The fact that such a large percentage of the population of one country can be obese while another country struggles to get the minimum of food to their citizens makes you wonder.
For example, here in the US we have over 60% of adults over 20 are either overweight or obese (by a questionable unit of measure, but still...). In other words, we eat too much. Anyone who has made any effort to lose weight knows that basic formula for weight loss is calories in must be less than calories expended. In other words, you have two ways to lose weight. Move more or eat less. The fact that such a large percentage of the population of one country can be obese while another country struggles to get the minimum of food to their citizens makes you wonder.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Letting Go
We all have things in our lives that we hold on to-memories, possessions, relationships, weight, etc. Some of these things nurture us while others become harmful drags on time and resources. One of our responsibilities in life is evaluate the people, places and things in our lives and determine their proper place.
Sometimes the decision is easy. "I don't like liver" for example. This quite easily relegates liver to something you won't eat. However, some decisions are not quite that cut and dry. In fact, making a determination on one aspect of your life may in fact bring to light other decisions that need to be made.
"Do I want this friend in my life?" becomes a much more involved process. First you have to determine what qualities the person brings to your life, both positive and negative. How do you feel around them? Happy? Sad? Angry? Content? Frustrated? At east? When you spend time together, do you think about what you're doing together or are you contemplating the moment you are able to leave their company? Consider your history together. Did they serve a purpose in your life at one point that is no longer necessary. Perhaps their companionship helped you through a rough patch or crisis that is over. Is their friendship still a strong, vibrant part of your life or is it waning and draining.
Once you've made the decision to let a friendship go, the next step is determining the method of release. Sometimes, you can let time and distance do the parting. A gradual drift. Not making the effort to spend time together. In the case of toxic relationships, it may be necessary to actually tell the person why you are no longer spending time with them.
Sometimes the decision is easy. "I don't like liver" for example. This quite easily relegates liver to something you won't eat. However, some decisions are not quite that cut and dry. In fact, making a determination on one aspect of your life may in fact bring to light other decisions that need to be made.
"Do I want this friend in my life?" becomes a much more involved process. First you have to determine what qualities the person brings to your life, both positive and negative. How do you feel around them? Happy? Sad? Angry? Content? Frustrated? At east? When you spend time together, do you think about what you're doing together or are you contemplating the moment you are able to leave their company? Consider your history together. Did they serve a purpose in your life at one point that is no longer necessary. Perhaps their companionship helped you through a rough patch or crisis that is over. Is their friendship still a strong, vibrant part of your life or is it waning and draining.
Once you've made the decision to let a friendship go, the next step is determining the method of release. Sometimes, you can let time and distance do the parting. A gradual drift. Not making the effort to spend time together. In the case of toxic relationships, it may be necessary to actually tell the person why you are no longer spending time with them.
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