Letter-Writing Week

Hello again. Time flies. This week was busy at work, and Thursday was Girl Scout night (cookie sales coming up). I felt good because I had pretty well stuck to the healthier eating plan, even if the scale wasn't reporting anything--yet.

Then I got a new digital scale on Saturday and weighed in.

Discouragement! I weighed the same that I weighed when I went to the doctor a few weeks ago. Very upsetting.

So this morning I weighed, and the scale said I lost about 3lbs. That's what I felt like I lost. So yay!

One of my loseit.com friends suggested that I weigh at the same time when I do weigh in so that the fluctuations don't make me crazy.  Excellent idea!

The second week of January is National Letter Writing Week. So far, I mailed off two cards for relatives. Letter-writing is one of my resolutions. I was going to write last week, but never quite got going.

When I was a teenager, I wrote quite a bit to my grandma and friends, but I fell away from that as I got older. Then phone calls got cheap, and it was just easier to call people.

But there's nothing quite like the feeling of getting a letter or card in the mail. You open the mailbox and see something other than bills, and you feel a little excited that someone cared enough to send a personal note or card. You don't dread getting mail so much, since a letter might be in there.

So write your friends or family a letter. You never know how it might brighten someone's day. :)

Talking about food and stuff

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Soooo. last night I was totally exhausted and didn't write. oops. back on the horse today. So far, I feel I've been doing well with my goals, especially with breaking the junk food habit. I used to have 2 donuts and a diet soda every morning for breakfast, and this is the second day without the donuts. :) not only am I cutting calories, I'm saving money too.

I find myself thinking about choosing better foods when I shop, and when I eat, I take smaller portions. I also chew my food more slowly and really try to enjoy what I'm eating, rather than scarfing down my food because I'm starving.

I've also been letting the daily grind roll off my back instead of wishing I was elsewhere, or wishing worse things because I am dissatisfied.

Even though this only day 3 of my New Year, New Me, I still feel motivated and ready to follow through.

I joined loseit.com, for accountability and motivation. I would like to get a Fitbit tracker, but I want to make sure I continue to stay motivated before spending that money. Maybe for my birthday in June. :)

2012: Year of Awesome

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I am so glad 2011 is gone. It has been a challenging year. Once again, I was followed around by the black dog, and when I sat down to reflect on my accomplishments in 2011, I couldn't think of anything, other than work. And as we all know, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

As always, I have many resolutions and goals for the upcoming year. One of them is to pay more attention to my blog. :) A lot of my goals are the same as they have been for years: write more, spend more time doing creative things, lose weight.

So how did I do today, my first day of taking a new path? Well, it was hard. I could tell when I wanted to eat out of boredom. I didn't get enough water that I needed to drink today. But I did get through washing the laundry, and I cleaned up some trash in two different hotspots in the house. There are still many hotspots to clean, but I did get something done at least.

I am trying to stay positive and motivated. I have to fake it 'til I make it, because I absolutely cannot keep living this way. I will be 40 this year. I want to look back in December, and say yes, I did what I set out to do. I followed through. Following through is the hardest part.

From couch potato to.... ?

Well, it has been a LONG time since I've done any sort of organized exercise. DD & I ride our bikes when it's warm, but other than that, I am a couch potato. However, that is about to change.

DH has had lower back problems for some time. His chiropractor advised him to start walking 2-3 miles per day. So we're joining a fitness center. It will be good for both of us, because I need to lose about 30 pounds (could stand to lose more), and DH needs to strengthen his back.

Tonight we begin. :) We'll see how it goes.

Getting in shape has been one of my long-term resolutions, but I never seem to follow through. I think that with both of us on board, we can encourage each other.

Living Divine in 2009!

Well, constant reader, another year has come and gone. Alas, I feel I don't have much to show for it.

"If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living."
—Gail Sheehy

Ain't that the truth?

So this year is going to be different. I know I've said that a thousand times before. But this time, change has to take place. I spent most of 2008 in a dark depressive funk, one in which I didn't think I'd be able to drag myself out of. I wasn't even looking forward to the holidays.


DD had to put up all the Christmas decorations (which we took down today, by the way). If it weren't for her, we probably wouldn't have decorated at all; possibly, we wouldn't have even had a Christmas.

But somehow, it all came together, in spite of my negativity.

So, you ask, what has changed me today as compared to yesterday?

Several things, most notably, I'm damn sick and tired of feeling mentally like shit and feeling like I can't do anything about it. Yesterday, as I reflected on 2008, I realized that yet another year had went by (in a blink), and I had nothing to show for it. I didn't go anywhere new; I didn't learn anything new (except knitting); and most of all, I am stuck in the same patterns of behavior—which lead nowhere except to the Well of Self-Pity.

I hardly journaled at all last year. So many days are lost because I didn't record them. I don't know how I fell out of the habit, but somehow I did, and that was not fun to realize. Keeping a journal is important to me, so that is one habit I will be taking back up this year in 2009.

Also, I plan to focus on my spirituality, spending more time in quiet contemplation, while living in the world. Being a kinder, less reactive person will be difficult for me to accomplish, but it will happen.

Getting our finances in order is my number one priority. DH & I plan to take a Financial Peace University class offered at the bank, and I think it will not only help our finances, but help our relationship as well.

This will be a year of change; I plan to keep a record here on this blog.

Today, I began by simply taking a walk around the neighborhood. It wasn't too cold. DD went with me. We had fun. The earth is in repose now, waiting patiently for spring. I feel that I've been waiting far too long for my own spring to come, but now, it's finally here.

Wish me luck.

10 Things

Ten Things Left Behind in 2006

1. personal angst
2. the Well of Self-Pity
3. guilt
4. anger
5. fear
6. self-disgust
7. unhappiness
8. dissatisfaction
9. bitter old hag
10. bitterness/jealousy of others
    

Ten Things Embraced in 2007

1. spirituality/spiritual journey
2. fearlessness
3. creativity
4. love of myself (self-love)
5. JOY!
6. faith
7. hope
8. destiny (!?)
9. mindfulness/living in the present
10. contentedness, but not complacency