I do not make resolutions - never have and never will, simply because they do not work for me. However, I do evaluate my life this time every year and try to implement some positive changes that hopefully will impact... something.
I presently do not have the will to better myself physically through regular exercise (over and above walking the dog), but give me about 10 more mid-life pounds, and I will be all over it. I have chosen to eat more healthy - less processed, more organic when the dollars permit, and definitely fresher & homemade. AND, we are trying to cut our grocery bill IN HALF. We have been in our own house for three days this new year, and so far so good! How long does it take to create a habit????
My mom gave her three daughters "The Ultimate Cloth" as a special Christmas gift, knowing that some of us like to clean more than others. It truly is the ultimate in cleaning cloths and could, in fact, replace most of my papertowel use. (If you have ever seen me in action, you know that my daily papertowel use is excessive to say the least.) I will spare you the infomercial, but here is the website, and I definitely recommend buying some: http://www.myultimatecloth.com/home.html. My sister Cathy mentioned to me recently that she has an ultra-environmentally-conscious friend, Tracie, who USES NO PAPERTOWEL. GASP! If Tracie can totally do without, and do so with two small children, I can certainly make a conscious effort to reduce my excessive use through the purchase of a few more of the Ultimate Cloth rags. This week we had to go without the kitchen sink for a day. By the time the plumber left and I could use the sink again, I had realized that I use the water at that sink unnecessarily much the time just because I can... and, I really did fine for a day without the convenience of being able to run water constantly while I did similar meal preparation. In the same way, I feel like if I remove my papertowel roll from the countertop, and replace with a rag dispenser (I am thinking square kleenex dispenser with the Ultimate Clothes in it), I will realize my unnecessary dependence on papertowel.
On a lighter note, I have decided to listen to country music (with the exception of Rascal Flatts, because I just can't stand...them... him...). I can't explain my desire, so don't be a hater. I listened to country music in college most of the time, but when the world became very real to me post-college, the country songs just got me down. Who can be happy when your dog ran away with your bride and stole your pick-up truck??? Anyway, who knows how long it will last, but maybe, just maybe, I will have a blog post showing me wearing my cowboy hat and boots at Brad Paisley concert. I have already told Audrey that I will take her to see Taylor Swift this summer --- does she count as country?
I have also decided to read the New Testment of the Bible this year. We were challenged to buckle down by Pastor Joe this last Sunday at church, and this year, I will stick to it. As I progress, I would also like to start journaling, but my fear is that since I am finding this quiet time at night, that my weariness from the day will overcome me. I am always open to the idea of waking up alittle earlier when we see the light of day again before 8:00AM in Northern Ohio. For those of you interested, here is a website with a schedule for reading the NT in a year (just 5 mins. a day!): www.prayer-warriors.org/notes/bookmark.pdf
Finally, and definitely most importantly, and this is a very new revelation of mine from a discussion with Matt this evening... I need to build "margin time", the space between my life's load and its limit. This is a concept that he read about in a daily email devotional from http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/. You can read part 1 of the two-part devotional here: http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/FreeTools/devotional/todaysDevo/Devotional.htm?a=2781&z=1. Like many or most of the people I know, I am maxed out with everything. My time is short, mentally I have reached my limit by 6:00PM, and what I look forward to most every night is sitting in my bed with a bowl of popcorn, a beer, and House Hunters International.
Once I get moving consistently in the right direction, I hope to then move on to convincing more my neighbors to recycle. Up to this point, my efforts have been slim and futile. Standing with my hands on my hips shaking my finger at them, explaining that it is only $3 additional dollars a month, obviously has not been the right approach.
No comments:
Post a Comment