2010 Handbook

As I've gotten older, I've generally stepped away from making New Years resolutions. Partly because, no one can just all of a sudden stop a bad habit one day and then the next live as if they came into contact with Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in MIB. Growth is about gradual change, so I moreso try get rid of my personal vices throughout the year and when the New Year comes, I try to continue on that path. Some years your resolutions stick with you, and some years they don't. I've vowed to eat better and healthier for a couple years now, but it took until this past September for me to finally stick to it.

I'm not downing New Year's resolution, because psychologically, they are necessary because a new year gives us a feeling of "newness" for lack of a better term. Subconsciously, it makes us believe that we have a clean slate. The most obvious correlation would be with Christianity's communion ritual. Christians (such as myself) partake in this ritual not just to say "phew, Jesus forgave me again, now I can go back to doing ____ again because I KNOW I'll be forgiven," but rather to say, "I know I've sinned this past month, and I am going to make the effort to not make the same mistakes."

So, let's be honest with ourselves, we're probably going to have some set backs with our "resolutions" but if we attempt to make these changes today, at some point in 2010 (or later), these "resolutions" will be resolved. This all stems from me receiving this e-mail at work from my supervisor and I thought it contained some useful information. Check it out and pass it along:

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.. 4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21.. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

Last but not the least:
40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.