The Great Change

New Year's. The time of year where we all resolve to magically morph into perfect human beings, capable of achieving enormous success, seemingly over night, of course. The week between Christmas and New Year's is the time where everyone over-indulges. We roll in our vices thinking that come January 1st we are cleansed...magically, of course.

I am guilty of this too. I make resolutions and come the third week of January, I've already strayed. The biggest resolution for me is always fitness, I miss being fit. You would think my motivation for getting fit would be the simple fact that I LOVE doing active things! Also, dieting for me really isn't that difficult, because I enjoy healthier, whole foods. There is no reason why I shouldn't be as fit as I once was, there is just the hurdle of losing weight. With so much information on what to eat and what not to eat, when and how much - nobody really agrees. These fad diets come out where you basically starve yourself and cut carbohydrates out of everything that you eat. What people don't realize is how bad cutting carbs completely out of your diet is for your body, the only thing your brain digests as fuel ARE carbohydrates!! It's not like I am uneducated, quite the contrary is true, I am totally aware of which foods are considered 'good' for you and which foods are horrible for you. Cooking healthy food isn't a problem either, in fact I am quite a good cook and I rarely cook anything that isn't good for you; we don't eat out of cans and we don't eat out of a box from the freezer aisle, we don't eat processed foods (except for maybe salad dressings or sauces) and we eat about 5 heads of garlic a week (sometimes just roasted with some balsamic vinegar on them).

This year I resolve to be healthy, it's my only goal. I am also going to drag my husband along kicking and screaming to the doctor to get physicals. Heart disease scares me, diabetes scares me and the "c" word?...we won't go there. There is SO much I have left yet to accomplish in this life and I really would like to be healthy to enjoy them! I am not going to write this on a note and throw it into the fire, Im not just going to tell a couple of people so that nobody knows that I failed miserably, Im telling the internet so that I can be accountable to something greater than myself.

Okay, so I lied...that's not my only resolution. My second resolution is God. Yup. God. There is something missing and although that sounds incredibly personal, it's not really. My marriage is fantastic, my education is going extremely well, I am working towards a goal and it's easily within range...but, there's something else. I wasn't raised in a religious household. In my house there existed a belief in the power of the Universe, I was told that the Universe was a great, unpredictable power that was to be respected. We weren't Atheists, but we weren't Christians. I had religious friends and the thing I was most amazed with was the constant partnership they had with God. I mean, there were times growing up where I felt completely alone and having someone to talk to would've helped me a lot. I watch my friends in awe go through life with intent, with purpose, confident that God loved them and he had plans for their lives...and they BELIEVE this. I've read a couple versions of the bible cover to cover, I've taken an Art History class that covered early Christian Art and it's made me curious. Jordan and I have talked about God and Christianity extensively, he always answers my questions and we talk about it philosophically and metaphorically...and...I am...curious, SO I am going to try and figure that part out. We're going to go to church here starting in January, getting Jordan back to his roots and me in a place where I can understand how to embrace God.

Okay, so there aren't only 2 resolutions either, there's a third. Embrace the relationships in my life and let go of the relationships that are no longer what they were (I realize that's incredibly cryptic, but sometimes that's how I function). I have some pretty amazing people in my life and it's important to me that they understand that, so I am going to do more to nurture and maintain these wonderful relationships with amazing human beings.

Whether your resolution is to lose weight or to quit smoking, you can do it. If It takes a switching of the calendar to psych you into achieving what you've been wanting to for years, then so be it. Motivate yourself by remembering that this is YOUR goal and it's achievable! Life is a precious gift, it can be taken from you at any time so, be KINDER to people and be KINDER to yourself. It's not up to you to judge how other people live their lives, what they are wearing, how they act or what your perceptions of them are...cause really, they're only perceived. Hold the door open for people, smile at people, compliment people and be REAL with people...and yourself, it's time.