Today is the official start of Lent and I can say, without hesitation, that I'm ready for it. While my life has been wonderful for the past five months, I feel like I'm not giving enough back. Lent may be a Christian tradition, but being the Buddhist that I am I believe it can also be a time to take stock of what you have and do whatever is necessary to better your karma. I've been blessed with so many wonderful gifts in the past year but I often feel like I expect more out of my life when I shouldn't. When things go wrong I blame the powers that be and nine times out of ten these are things that I can prevent by having a different attitude or perspective. So while my official Lenten sacrifice is alcohol this year, I'd also like to take the next six weeks to learn and grow and come out a better person. Here's a few of my own personal goals:
1. Exercise
Because I was able to finagle an earlier shift at work, I have no excuses NOT to exercise anymore. Even with it still being winter, March is relatively tame and while the streets and sidewalks aren't perfect, it's definitely possible to run for at least 15 minutes in the afternoon. I should also incorporate yoga, pilates and meditation into my daily routine because these days, I could certainly use an outlet for relaxation and stress release.
2. Do something useful after work every day
It's unrealistic to think I'm going to work out everyday, especially when I've had a really tough day at work. I would, however, like to do something with that time besides sitting around. In the summer, I should spend time outside and enjoy the weather. On days when it's not so nice out, I would love to just sit at Bucks or in my big brown chair reading or working on my book. And because my work hours are much more in sync with my boyfriend's now, I'm hoping to get more quality time with him as well :)
3. Cook more
This one goes hand in hand with the first two. Because I'm getting home at 4:30 rather than 6:15, I actually have time to put together a decent dinner and eat it before I go to bed. With spring and summer coming up, I also have the option of going to my parents' house and cooking out with them. There will be a lot of opportunities to invent new things, and hey, maybe I'll even add them to the food blog I never update! ;)
4. Eliminate unnecessary stress
I have this little problem with sweating the small stuff that I truly feel needs to be nipped in the bud right now. Whether it's the way a car switched lanes, my weekend plans falling through, or my neighbor's loud music, I have an annoying tendency to make said issues way bigger than they actually are. Sure, everyone's allowed to get pissed off every now and again. I just think that I tend to project something bigger onto these insignificant occurrences. Bad traffic causes me to resent my commute and thus want to quit my job. Weekend plans falling through causes me to become upset with people who were completely not at fault. My neighbor's loud music causes me to want to find a new apartment. It's when my mind takes this sudden dramatic turn that I say to myself, whoa girl, take it easy. Life is waaaay too short to over-think such tiny matters especially when there are so many little things worth getting excited about.
5. Watch more movies
This is a no brainer. Watching movies makes me happy and I don't do enough of it. This is also the perfect time to set such a goal because it is now post-Oscars when all the good stuff is coming out on DVD. It's a great time to catch up on all the really high quality films I missed when they were in theaters.
6. Spend less money
After spending over $1100 on my car in a month, financial reality is definitely hitting me and thus I think it's time to re-evaluate my spending habits. While I consider myself to be very good with money, I also think I have a tendency to make superfluous purchases. Everyone should treat themselves now and again. But if 'treating myself' turns into a habit, it becomes that much more difficult to appreciate something like a new pair of jeans, a bottle of top shelf liquor, or a night on the town.
7. Work harder at my job
It's no secret that I've grown somewhat resentful of my job and it's been making it harder to go above and behind. I pride myself on the good work ethic I have and the last thing I want is for that to suffer because of certain qualms I have about my working environment or job responsibilities. My annual review is coming up and I think the timing couldn't be more perfect. I want to take this opportunity to really figure out not only what I want from my job, but how *I* can contribute more. Maybe it's not an ideal position that I want to be in forever, but I'm very lucky to have it right now so I should find a way to make the most of it.
8. Be a better girlfriend
So my boyfriend, the lovely person that he is, might be thinking...how can you be any better than you are now? Well, whether he knows it or not, I think I can. He's a very selfless and understanding person and thus he deserves the best. I don't want to drag my own problems or bad mood into my time with him because that time is sacred. I know I shouldn't "fake" being okay when I've had a bad day. Bottling emotions isn't good for anyone. However, sometimes it's better to just let go of what's bothering me for the time being and not squander the time we have together. I think the two of us have been doing a bang-up job so far but that's no reason not to always be cognizant of how our relationship is going. No matter how long we're together, these are the things I will never stop doing: being open and honest about everything, not taking any of his amazing qualities for granted, and supporting and loving him no matter what.
Alright, well there you have it! This is a very exciting time for yours truly and I'm quite confident that in six weeks, I'll be a much happier and much healthier person :)
3 comments:
Welcome back to posting, Manzi! LOL This was a very inspiring and upbeat post and made me happy to read. So you've already brought positive stuff into the world and it's only the second day of Lent! I hope you can achieve all your goals over the next six weeks, and be all ready for Easter season, spring, and the return of the Cubbies!
I loved this! And I think you should read it over again at least once a week and then ask yourself what kinds of things you did during the week to accomplish and/or maintain these goals! In fact, your list is so similar to the kind of list *I would make for myself, I'm going to try and read it weekly and strive toward these goals as well! And perhaps I'm no one's girlfriend right now, but I sure can be a better single person!
Awww thanks everyone! I'm feeling particularly inspired by it today :) And that's really awesome that you're inspired by it too, Katesi! Your idea about keeping tabs on myself is an excellent one. I will most certainly do that!
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