New Year's Resolutions

Today is only one day in all the days that will ever be. But what will happen in all the other days  that ever come can depend on what you do today. It’s been that way 

all this year. It’s been that way so many times.

— Ernest Hemingway

 I've never been one for making New Year's resolutions - I hate making lofty goals and empty promises, even to myself. It seems to me that people take this opportunity to "start fresh," get on a "health kick," and start revolutionizing their lives and changing the world. You can Google, "New Year's Resolutions" and be presented with a list of things that you should be improving about yourself and your life. Who wants to resolve to make themselves better based on some random, often unattainable standard? In my experience, it seems that people wake up on January 1st with a hell of a hangover and their resolve lost somewhere between their cell phone and one of their shoes.

This past year has taken me on a wild ride; when I look back on my life 12 months ago, I barely recognize it, and believe me - that's a good thing. I've done so much this past year to get myself in a good place, that I really don't feel the need to make a resolution to dramatically change anything in my life. But there are a few things that I'd like to try and do this next month, to see if I can make it into a habit. This isn't because it's December 31st and this isn't because I feel as if I have to "better" myself. This is because I believe in checking in with myself and making slight adjustments all year round.

1) I'd like to start doing yoga a bit more. In the winter months my whole body aches, as if it's yearning for warm weather. Now we've been lucky so far this winter, it hasn't been frigid yet, but my body is already settling in for hibernation. Doing yoga a few times a week will keep me limber and hopefully, if my body isn't aching, I will be more likely to keep up with my workouts during the long winter months.

 via ModernDayHemingway

2) A month or so ago I received a "just because" gift, (I know, I get just because books and flowers, I'm a lucky girl) and it was not only thoughtful and personal, but also practical. I really enjoy cooking, I find it relaxing when I have the time and the right ingredients. I enjoy being healthy; it's amazing how different your body feels when you feed it the right way, (unfortunately, I also know how good your taste buds feel when you feed them decadent treats) and I also enjoy being conscious about the environment. So, The Food Matters Cookbook was a great, unexpected gift. The cookbook is written by Mark Bittman, author of the Bestseller, Food Matters. In the cookbook, Bittman provides easy recipes that benefit your health and the environment. This isn't a "diet" book and this isn't a rulebook of how to become a vegetarian. It's a guideline on how to change some (not all) of your eating habits that you can easily personalize and execute. Bittman suggests that by eating less meat, and more local beans, grains, fruits, and veggies, we will become "healthier" and considering that, "the more animals we raise industrially, [to be slaughtered] the more greenhouse gases we are producing" we will also be doing a small part to better the environment.
So, I'm going to give some of the recipes a try and report back!