Welcome

Welcome.  Welcome 2009.  Welcome to my new space.  With all of the negative news about the economy pervading the airwaves and hovering over our daily lives, it seemed time to bring the scope of focus a little closer to home.  And, more importantly, to focus in on the positive: positive forces in our life, positives changes we can make for ourselves in these times of uncertainty.  After all, the daily living that occurs on the “small scale” or in our daily lives, has just as large an impact on our mood, our ability to handle life events, and how we perceive life, as the large scale forces that act upon us.  And yes, the economy may feel just as scary regardless of whether or not our personal lives are going well, but in this light it becomes but one force on us, instead of the main force.

And so this space is dedicated to wellness.  Quality of life, and all the factors that influence well-being, whether it is physical, emotional, social, environmental.  Wellness is about honoring our individual potential.  It is about living the life we want to lead.  And that means taking care of all those areas of our lives that we know we should handle at some point, when I have time.  I’m talking about all those little nagging changes that stay with us year after year – lose weight, exercise more, take control of our finances, dust off those dreams and start pursuing them – they stick with us, unfulfilled and yet unforgotten, why else would the same themes pop up in our new years resolutions, year after year?  I don’t know about you, but some version of 1) exercise more, 2) simplify, and 3) write, damnit! has been on my list for the past 5 years now.

So this year I’m challenging myself to do something about it.  It’s time to live up to my own definition of wellness and create the changes that will bring my life into closer alignment with my dreams and goals.  I’d like to eat better, exercise more, be kinder to the environment, live intentionally, develop the courage to go after my craziest of ideas, and to celebrate life.  Although some of these are topics I am familiar with through jobs or hobbies, there is so much yet that I do not know.  Your list may be different, but the idea is the same.  Is there something you’ve always wanted to try, a change you’d like to make but never acted upon?

This blog will be integral to keeping me on track, chronicling the successes and failures (of which there will be many, I’m sure), and to engage in a wider dialogue about the multitude ways that wellness touches our lives.  And finally, since write, DAMNIT has been on my list for eons now, this space is a challenge to myself to see if I can consistently write about wellness in a meaningful and interesting way.

To 2009.  Be well.

Tags: goals, writing