2010 is going to be a great year! I’ve decided that for myself. I’ve been thinking about some goals the past few days, again no resolutions, just milestones and changes I want to make in my life. I still haven’t quit smoking, but that’s okay for today. It will happen soon. I’ve been eating better the past few days, and went back to the gym. I always feel so good after an hour at the gym, so I’m not sure why I really stopped going. I could blame it on several things, but it’s probably just laziness. So here are some of my goals for 2010:

STOP SMOKING: Already covered in a previous post, but still very important. I haven’t set a quit date yet. If this freaking arctic blast doesn’t leave Nashville, it will be very soon. I’m tired of standing outside in 20 degree weather to smoke.

REIKI MASTER: Over the next week I intend to complete my Master Training and schedule the attunement for soon thereafter. As soon as I finish the attunement, I will start developing a training program so I can teach and attune other students. I want to take Reiki to a new level in this area. I will be working on ways to publicize the service and the training. I want to offer services at the store, at my home, and maybe out calls, just so I can reach more people.

REFLEXOLOGIST: I want to have this training finished and the exams completed by the end of January. Allowing time for filing the paperwork with the state to be licensed, I hope to be able to start offering sessions by mid-February, or at least the end of February. Like Reiki, I want to offer services at the store, at my home, and maybe out calls.

YOGA: I’m going to give yoga a try this year. I plan to start with the beginners class tomorrow evening. Practicing yoga is part of my commitment to myself to take care of my body and my spirit.

EAT BETTER: I am such a picky eater! I intend to try many new dishes this year. I have prepared a couple of dishes the past few days that are totally new to me, and I enjoyed them both. I will be blogging about those separately, and hopefully will provide pictures of some of the dishes.

WORKING OUT: I have already started the year off better than last year ended. I need to develop a regular routine for working out. I’m going to start off slow, and let my body adjust and work up to more vigorous routines. I did not like working with a personal trainer last year. He pushed too hard, and I would leave the gym in pain and barely breathing. Many mornings I woke up so sore I could hardly get out of bed or get dressed. I just don’t see how that can be good for your body.

MEDITATE: OK, so I’m not very good at meditating. My mind wanders all over the place when I’m supposed to be still and quiet. The Buddhist books I’ve been reading say to meditate twice a day, at least 10 minutes at a time. Surely I can find two 10-minutes slots in my day to practice regularly.

SPIRITUALITY: The more I read and contemplate about life and what I believe to be truth, the more I’m convinced that Buddhism is the correct road for me. I’ve read several books on Buddhism the past couple of years, and it all seems so natural and true for me. I have an altar upstairs, but I neglect it and rarely use it for meditation. I move it around every time I feel like it’s in my way. This year I will formalize my altar, make it a place of peace and meditation.

WORK: I start a new job tomorrow, in the same office. There has been a re-organization of duties, and I’m taking on a new role. I hope this removes some of the stress I’ve been under the past couple of years, or four years actually. This year I will not allow my job to take over my life. It’s a job, a role that I play 40 hours per week, a function for my employer, and that’s all it will be. It’s not who I am, does not feed me spirituality, and I will no longer allow it to be my life.

WRITING: So Spirit keeps telling me I’m a writer. At no other time in my life have I felt that, but it does seem true. I have so many things to say, and writing seems the most logical way to release them. So for this year, I will blog often, write stories for our business blog, at least start working on the two books I want to write, and maybe try to write and submit some short stories.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Grossly neglected this past year! I call myself an amateur photographer, but I don’t know if I’m even that advanced yet. I need to start taking picture again, and develop my eye. I would love to submit some freelance pics by the end of this year, and maybe be able to do some portrait shots.

Seems like a lot for one year, but these are all the things I want to do, so it shouldn’t be a chore or stress to accomplish them. I need to get more focused to achieve these goals, and should probably develop a schedule to work on them. I do better with a plan and a schedule.

As this year comes to an end, and the promise of a new and better year approaches, I find myself reflective on life. I don’t intend to make New Year’s Resolutions, as those usually just become empty goals with no real meaning, but I do intend to make some changes in my life, and have definite goals I intend to fulfill in the coming year.

Let’s start with the most obvious path to a better me: stop smoking. In this ignored resolution of new years past, I always blamed my failure to quit smoking on lack of will power, stress from work, stress from life, or because the wind was blowing from the north. But this year is different, because quitting smoking is not a resolution to be achieved on it’s own. Quit smoking is only one small step in creating a better me. In past years I haven’t been ready to quit, but there are several reasons why I am ready now.

First, it’s become simply a habit, and not something enjoyable. There used to be this great feeling of having that desperately needed cigarette. I don’t experience that anymore. I can’t think of one cigarette I’ve had in the past few weeks that I really enjoyed. The thrill is gone.

Second, I’ve come to realize lately how nasty cigarettes are. Maybe it’s the cold damp weather of late, but I can smell the smoke so much more than I used to. I can smell it in my clothes, on my skin, in my car. My car smells like an ashtray! Thank goodness we don’t smoke in the house. I can smell it strongly on my hands, which is driving me nuts. The past few weeks I’ve been washing my hands a lot, just to remove the smell. No doubt if I can smell it on my clothes and skin, then everyone I come in contact with can smell it too.

Third, it’s a hassle. It takes extra effort to smoke these days. I can’t leave the house without making sure I have my cigarettes and a way to light them, and a way to carry them. I can’t enjoy a nice meal or social gathering out without making sure I go some place where I can slip out and smoke. Of course that has become almost embarrassing in this day when smoking is taboo. And don’t get me wrong, I’m glad smoking has become taboo. I commented to Greg recently that I wish smoking would be globally banned. Let’s make everyone stop smoking at one time, deal with a month of bad attitudes, and be done with it.

And fourth, and probably the most important, smoking doesn’t suit me anymore. It doesn’t fit the persona I’ve been working to create for myself. Although I may not be there yet, I enjoy seeing myself as an eclectic, artsy, spiritual soul. Can you be that person smelling like an cigarette all the time? Can I promote my belief in living a spiritual life, the healing energy of Spirit, the beauty of aromatherapy, the desire for a greener and more natural life, all while puffing on a cigarette? I think not.

So there you have it. These are the reasons that I will quit smoking this year. I haven’t set a ‘quit date’ yet. It could be tomorrow or a month from now, but I know it’s coming. The great thing is that quitting smoking this time is part of the natural order of things. Luckily I don’t have to be in the driver’s seat this time, I just have to let go of the fear, and allow things to happen as they should.

All as it should be….

How to Lead an Authentic Life

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Today was my first visit to chiropractor! I’ve had a pain in my neck for several weeks now. And no, I don’t think it can be contributed to any one person I went to Dr. Chris May in Berry Hill. It was a little scary since I had no idea what they actually do. I had an adjustment done, I think. Dr. May was awesome. He was patient and gentle, explained the entire process to me before we started, and even offered me some tips on my workout routine. The experience was great. I felt wonderful when I left. Tonight I’m a little sore, but he said that would probably happen. I’m going back again next week.

If you need a good chiropractor, go see Dr. Chris May and tell him Roy sent you.