Meditate, do push-ups, eat healthy. And be better

It’s that time again. The gyms are packed. People are sweating. Protein bars are flying off the shelves. Amazon is delivering all kinds of weight management supplements. We are all trying to reset, build new habits and be a better version of ourselves.

I suggest the first, meditation, as being the priority. Find and renew your faith or the connection you have to a sense of spirituality. Use those handful of moments in the day to manifest a quiet mind. Reexamine your commitments to a higher calling, a calling that asks for kindness to others. Be kind. It’s as simple as that.

The universe asks you to be generous and selfless with your gifts. Introspection is key. Take the time to be conscious of your presence in the world, in the moment. Be deliberate in your life choices. Positivity is reflected back to you. Negativity is, too. Which means, your outlook on life, on people in your orbit, on your environment matters. Your perspective leads you by the nose. The path you’re on, and yes, your decisions do put you on the path you’re following, can be joyful or miserable depending on the lens you use to view the world. In other words, pessimists encounter a lot of gloom in their lives. Conversely, optimists seem to be undeservedly happy to some of us, even when we might perceive ourselves to be better off than said optimist. Dwell on that a bit.

Being healthy is important, too. Physically healthy. I eat clean. Mostly. But chocolate, right?  I’m doing pretty well and have lost a lot of weight over the last couple years. But I can do better. For the last decade or so I’ve practiced yoga twice a week fairly consistently. Last fall, I started doing cross fit.  I now have a membership at a gym. Time to build some habits toward those goals and do even better for my physical health. It’s a good start.

Maintaining it is the challenge, because I’m one of those people that buys an exercise bike and subconsciously feels that should be enough. I shouldn’t have to actually climb onto it and pedal to build muscle and burn calories. Sadly, the cosmos doesn’t agree with my whimsy.

Being kind and generous is easy. Outwardly. Manifesting kindness and generosity in my heart, my thoughts can sometimes be a struggle. I can be pretty snarky in my head. I gotta work on that.

Keep your eyes on the prize, on being a part of the solution to make the world a better place.  My office sign this month: “Pray as if everything depends on God. Work as if everything depends on you.” – St. Ignatius of Loyola.

 I need to get after it. Blessings to you all.