A Delicious Life

It’s the last day of 2007, and everyone is getting ready to start fresh with a new year. What will you do differently?

First, acknowledge yourself for everything that you’ve accomplished over the past 365 days. If you have a list of goals that you wrote out at the beginning of the year, look over them and see how you did. Were you able to accomplish everything you wanted and more? Or did you fall short? If you did what you wanted, give yourself a nice pat on the back for all the good work you did over the year. If not, think about why you fell short. Maybe your goals were too ambitious, or maybe you didn’t focus on them on a regular basis. Whatever you decide, see how you can do better next year.

Then take the time to renew your list of goals, adding on fresh priorities and getting rid of old ideas that no longer suit you. The more specific you can get about what you want, the better your chances for achieving it. Then keep your list where you will be able to review it on a daily basis to keep your goals top of mind.

What are your goals for 2008?  How do you plan to achieve them?

Feeling stuffed by all the holiday goodies? Have your friends and family heard you claim that you’ll “never eat again” more than once? There have been many meals that we have eaten mindlessly. Today, take the time to eat mindfully.

Take a slice of apple or a grape and place it before you. Look at the fruit before you pick it up. Mindfully allow your hand to approach the food. Now grasp it, and raise it up in front of you.

Notice the color and the texture. Smell it, and see if there’s a scent. Really examine it before you take the first bite.

When you bite into it, allow the bite to sit in your mouth for a few seconds. Feel the texture and sense the taste of it. Now chew slowly. Notice the change in texture and flavor as you chew it. Don’t swallow it right away - allow the bite to linger on your tongue. How does it feel and taste? Do you notice a change in flavor?

Finally allow yourself to swallow the bite. Feel what it feels like to really experience your food, one bite at a time.

Got something on your mind that’s eating at you? Get it out of your system by writing it out. Take a pen and some paper and find a quiet space to write. Keep your hand moving for at least 15 minutes. Let whatever comes to you flow out on the paper - don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or other mistakes. They don’t matter. All that matters is that you get the raw emotion out on paper without thinking about it.

As you go through this exercise, you might find yourself softening and your emotional state calming down. This is good - writing can help you release the negative energy that  you hold inside. Once you’re done, you can do whatever you want with the results - throw them away, shred them, or burn the paper and release the energy into the ether.

For many people, exercise is not be high on the list of to-dos. But taking time to move each day gets the blood and lymph moving, helps you move toxins out of your body, and can contribute to your overall mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.

You don’t need to run a marathon to get the exercise your body needs. Start out with a brisk walk or leisurely bike ride. Once you get in the habit, you’ll love how your daily movement makes you feel.

Ever think of doodling as more than just a way to pass the time while in class or on the phone? According to Katherine Revoir, doodling can be used to bridge your brain and your heart and reconnect yourself to spirit. Pretty deep.  Check out her  “play book” called  Spiritual Doodles and Mental Leapfrogs - I’ve worked with it myself and have found that the exercises within it can be very rewarding.

I’m not one to take naps, but if you’re feeling run down and tired like I have for the past couple of weeks, I highly recommend them.

A nap should last about 20 - 40 minutes to be really effective and recharge you. If you sleep for one hour or longer you risk going into deeper sleep and throwing yourself off your regular sleep cycle.

The exception to this rule, of course, is if you’re sick with a cold or the flu. The more sleep you can get when you’re sick, the faster you’ll heal.

Pause today and give thanks for all that you have. Reflect on all of the gifts and wonders of this life. Smile and enjoy the holiday.

Merry Christmas!

Take some time out to play today. What does play mean to you? Is it playing a board game? A video game? A puzzle? Or Scrabulous with a friend on Facebook? Maybe play is running outside, riding your bike, or taking a walk. Maybe play is people watching or skipping rope or playing jacks. Or maybe it’s watching where you step on the sidewalk so that you don’t step on a crack and break your mom’s back. Block out some time to play a game - with a friend or by yourself - even if it’s just 15 minutes.

What you put out in the world is what you get back. Why not give yourself some happiness by smiling? Smile at a friendly-looking stranger and see what you get back - I bet it will be a return smile.

Smiling is easier than frowning - it takes many fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown. And it makes you feel better psychologically. Think you can feel depressed when your head is up and you’re smiling? Just try it. I bet you can’t.

The skin is the largest organ of your body. Most of the time, though, we don’t pay any attention to it. Want to make your skin look and feel great all over? Try the hot towel scrub.

Take a wash cloth and wet it with hot water. Scrub every part of your skin with it, rubbing in a circular motion towards your heart. This should be done outside of the shower either in the morning or evening - or both. The hot towel scrub is great for improving circulation and promoting lymphatic movement. Try this experiment daily for a couple of weeks and see how it makes you feel.