New Years Resolutions

For the most part, I think New Years resolutions are BS. People don't take them seriously or even care about them for more than a week or two into January. I also feel that the usual "resolutions" are self serving, superficial and don't do anything to make our lives truly happy. That said, having goals to strive toward and working for positive change in ones life is a vital and important part to leading a fulfilling and satisfying life. I try not to make mine unrealistic, if I make them at all. Keeping them within our means and not making them overly stressful can ensure better results. Here's the short list of positive things I'd like to see happen in 2010.

-Eat slower. Eating is a great time to practice mindfulness meditation. Rushing through meals out of breath like you're mad at your food is not a healthy way to eat, or live.

-Be more patient with my kids. Sometimes it is hard to remember that they're children, and not miniature adults.

-Take my running less seriously than I did last year. I'd like to run just to run, not to place well in a race or log big mileage. That's the sort of false pride that has caused me to over train and, as a result, hurt myself.

-Be less of a grump. I don't feel grumpy often, but Nancy says I am. If it will make her happy, then its something I will look into and work on.

-Don't pig out on junk food late at night. There has never been a single instance where I wake up in the morning and say to myself  "wow, I'm really happy I ate six cupcakes and a plate of nachos last night".

-Tell my wife that I love her every day.

-Live life one breath at a time.

“Live your daily life in a way that you never lose yourself. When you are carried away with your worries, fears, cravings, anger, and desire, you run away from yourself and you lose yourself. The practice is always to go back to oneself.”

-Thich Nhat Hahn