2009: A Look Into the Year

After much reflection on the past year, I decided my themes/foci of the year would be the following:

1. Cultivating existing relationships.
Since 2008 was focused on THE SELF, I would like to refocus on my loved ones
and community by improving/maintaining healthy relations with the people I
deeply care for.

One of the ways I will do so is by practicing the lessons I learn from
Thich Nhat Hanh's Teahings on Love.
This book is WOW. It's so practical/tangible/applicable. It's real talk.

For
example, I want to work on active listening and really taking a loving and
genuine look into a person and into what they are saying or doing. And as I do
this, I need to remember to be mindful of people's backgrounds and experiences
before I easily pass judgment. I know this sounds like "Duh, chris,we all know
this." But we tend to forget these important interpersonal skills. In
addition, I love the way Thich Nhat Hanh articulates these simple
acts of kindness and love, because it makes anyone reading the book feel like
its possible and easy to do! I think that's why sometimes it's hard to build
healthy relations with people: we make it difficult, or we think it's more
complex than how it really is.

I want to work on patience and understanding for others.


2. Being mindful and resourceful.
Since the US will be going through some tough times with the economy, I want
to make more of an effort to be mindful of the resources I have and the way
I use them. I want to be more creative with what I have and discover multiple
functions to what was initially a singular functional object.


3. Live healthy. Cook. Cook. Cook. Eat in moderation. Run. Run. Run weekly. After my run, I really felt good---internally and externally. I felt my perspective and understanding of things around me were clearer. But after this past month of unhealthy living (eating whatever was in sight), I definitely feel BLEH! I feel sluggish. My pace is slower. I feel lazier. I lost discipline and focus. I want to go back to feeling invincible. I must start again from the simple steps of being mindful of what I put into my body. I need to discipline and motivate myself to push as I run. I miss flying.



Go 2009!