No better time than TODAY

It has been rather bumpy, but I am gradually getting there... truly HAPPY.

I am not a patient person, and I want everything NOW. But there is a time and place for everything. My journey through Lent 2011 was very helpful, it got me further down my path. Now it is time to pick up my pack again and continue this journey, this time with a map, compass and some more preparation.

To be happy, I first need to take care of me. I need to be healthy: physically, spiritually and mentally. So, I will give myself 2 goals for this week for each area.

PHYSICALLY:

1) Stick to my diet.

2) Follow my training, Half-Marathon training for Jan. 21st.

SPIRITUALLY:

1) Pray every morning.

2) Read 15 minutes of something spiritual.

MENTALLY:

1) Go to the University and set up my desk.

2) Get paperwork organized at home!

What my diet consists of:

Wake-up: Glass of warm water with lemon juice

Breakfast: Kiwi

2 pieces of toast with cheese

Café con leche and sugar

Mid-Morn: Café con leche (anytime)

Fruit (between 1130-1230)

Lunch: Veggies

Protein

Yogurt with Fiber

Tea

Mid-After: Fruit (between 5-6)

Tea (anytime)

Dinner: Veggies

Protein

Yogurt with Fiber

30 Day FLING

Yes, 30 days left until Easter.

1) Given up Facebook. Not so difficult there. (It's like my husband's effort a few years ago. He gave up beer... but it was just replaced with wine or a casual rum-and-coke. So now he goes for the gold and gives up alcohol all together.) Well, Facebook is pretty easy in the grand scheme of things, when there are other things to keep me connected to the computer: email, etc.

2) Dairy restriction. Given up trying. The whole purpose of this was I was nursing and we thought my 5 month old son had some type of milk allergy or intolerance. So, I thought there was a connection between my diary intake and his miserable-ness. I went for a second opinion, and thank God, it was just reflux. Remedied by a change in formula.

Giving up diary is NOT a practical move for me. Yes, once I went back on dairy I was again tempted by desserts, I love yogurt, ice cream, etc.

However, I have 30 days of Lent left... and 30 days of my strict diet that my doctor had given me. 30 days: no fried foods, no desserts, only 5 "meals" per day... I will follow the diet to the letter.

3) I continue to tell a Joke-A-Day to my family. And it really does seem to set a happy mood in the morning. (usually short-lived due to sibling squabbles, which I still don't deal well with)

4) 30 days of exercise. I have some wonderful friends who have started going to the pool Monday, Wed and Friday mornings. And I asked to tag along. I started today. It felt great to get back in the water.

I am continuing my Couch-2-5K trek. Although I'm only on Week 3, I had planned on having been finished and had signed up for a 5K on Wednesday. Well, I did it anyway. I COMPLETED a 5K. I came in dead LAST. But it wasn't demoralizing at all! I went there with a goal: to run 2 min and walk 1 min to the finish. The running splits I wanted to keep below 6:30 min/km and walking below 10:00 min/km. Which I completed for the most part.

I plan on running on my non-swim days and rest on Sundays. When I can fit it in after my run, I would like to do my 30-day-shred video, too.

5) My THESIS. Can I write my thesis in 30 days?

A diversion off the path

Slowly I am back on the path, although Saturday and Sunday I got lost in the woods. Besides my daily joke, I am also going to include some other daily tasks on my journey...

1) Joke of the Day

2) One Positive thing about Myself

3) One Positive thing in my Life

3) One thing that happened today that upset/bothered me in the moment and make a positive statement about it.

Although I will not publish the daily jokes (they have been somewhat corny anyway because seeing as my kids know my task, I need to be able to have a joke that is kid-friendly). I will plan on publishing my other tasks as appropriate.

For yesterday, Monday:

Myself: I am able to realize my short-fallings and pick myself up, brush off the dirt and make an effort to start over.

Life: Simply, our health... the whole family's

Turn a frown up-side-down: Despite having an argument, much can be said for having the opportunity to analyse the problem, look for a solution and make-up.

40 Days to Happiness

This, being the first day of Lent, is my first Blog.

When talking with my husband yesterday, Ash Wednesday, about what I could "give up" for Lent, or what "extra effort" I could give during the next 40 days, various things came to mind:

- Give up desserts (but not really a valid "effort" when I have already given up dairy due to nursing issues, so maybe I was eating only 4 desserts a month anyway)

- Eat only fruits and vegetables (somewhat unrealistic as a nursing mother)

- Avoid arguing with my husband (although the effort would be appreciated by all, I see as a set-up for failure)

Seeing as I have already:
1) Given up Facebook
2) Given up Dairy

My husband asked me to make an effort to be HAPPY. And in doing so, he asked me to tell him a joke every morning when I wake up.

The truth be known, I AM struggling with being happy in my daily life.

But, What do I have to NOT be happy about?

- I have a loving husband who takes care of my family and I.
- I have 4 wonderful and healthy children.
- We want for nothing and we have more than we deserve.

I SHOULD have a smile from ear to ear. I think maybe I take life too seriously, too personally. God asks us to be happy, and make other so also.

So here I start my journey to be HAPPY being ME.