Well, hello, 2010. A shiny new decade! Time to revise.
Resolutions, 2010
1. Don't die.
2. Postpone dying.
- Quit smoking again. The answer to stress is not to light a cigarette, damnit, and it will never, EVER be "just this one". This lesson is one I should have learned a long, long time ago. the majority of studies I'm reading show that nicotine + MS = bad mix, so let's get my shit together, here.
- Also: listen to my body, listen to my doctors, stay educated on MS but don't let it become my life. I am my life.
- My body is not my life, but it's definitely my vehicle, so stay on top of things. Regular massage. Yoga. Keep active, eat well, pay attention.
- Read labels.
- Stop buying crap food that has labels.
- RUN MORE: run as much as my body can stand. The better shape I'm in, the harder it will be for this disease to chip away at me.
- Enter more races. I'm competitive by nature, so it keeps me on track. Talk about racing, too, because accountability is good for me.
3. Consume less.
- Create more. Learn to make even more stuff. BREAK OUT THAT SEWING MACHINE!
- Drive less, bike and walk more.
- Grow and cook our food. Let's make 2010 the year that I finally get rid of that black thumb! I want to grow the kickass- est garden of all gardens ever. Okay, let's just aim for a decent heirloom garden this year. I don't need to win any awards, just successfully grow something other than tomatoes and herbs.
- Simplify, reuse, repurpose. Compost stuff! Recycle everything!
4. Do better.
- Try harder, remain grateful, keep perspective.
- Be kind.
- Sam Beckett always had it so damned right. "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
5. Challenge myself.
- Allow myself some vulnerability. Everything is not a Feat Of Strength. Leave the country for the 4th of July this year; I don't need to push through that bullshit. I can just pack a bag and spend a few days in Canada, and that's not weak; that's smart. Also, probably relaxing as hell and hey, might as well put that passport to work a little, right?
- Be brave. Without being stupid.
- Read things I’m not naturally drawn to, broaden my horizons a little. I’m beginning to feel I’m too specialized.
- Write more. I’ve been getting lazy. Get back on track and start talking about simplifying and start talking about chronic illness. Less of these brief photo- posts and more substance. Refine what I have to say and really say it.
- Take more photos, too.
- Try new things. Like singing when I feel like singing, for starters. That's a good goal. 11 years and my husband has never heard me do one of the things I used to do best. How dumb is that?
6. Remember that we only get so many days. Make them count.
