Over the last few months I have really enjoyed the simpler pleasures of life. And so I thought, why change it? Life seems so much easier when you desire less and make do with what you have around you. I have to admit, Christmas got a little out of hand. From my wish list of ONE item, i got so much more. I am thankful for that, very elated at my gifts, but still wished that I hadn't desired for SO much... I need to learn how to be comforted and contented with what I have and what I have been given.
Back in China, we would never keep track of our spending. Here, I'm learning to budget when I grocery shop, think twice about purchases and eliminate wants from needs. I go back to square one, when growing up, every single cent earned is so hard-earned and spent wisely.
Another thing that plagues the family discussion daily -- eating healthy. Ever since Grandma and her boyfriend arrived, we have junk food spilling out of the cupboards and out of our ears. I must have put on a few pounds just by drinking at least a gallon of soda everyday. Today, I went grocery shopping with the J-man and we conscientiously eliminated junk food from shopping cart. We skipped past the candy/junkfood/soda aisles with upturned noses and deliberately filled our cart with fresh vegetables and fruits. J also bought eggs that were labelled "From natural grain fed, free-roaming nesting hens". One thing that irks me is that it costs more to buy fresh foods. That is why it's so hard for people to want to eat healthy! We buy and eat so much processed foods! At this point, I also wonder how much chemicals go into producing our so-called "fresh produce". But you can't win them all, can you?
And then in addition to eating healthy, we got to get our butts off the couch, wake up at least half hour earlier each day, just so we can work out and keep ourselves healthier in body and in mind. For me, it means to not slack on my yoga practice, even though it is so easy to come up with a thousand reasons not to do it. Because of my new job, i come into contact with a million people a day, including germy babies and children. So in addition to popping multi-vitamins, I gotta get my routine going so I don't come down with anything too easily...
Lastly, our normal peace and quiet have resumed when our visitors left us yesterday. Even though I hate to say it, but it had been quite an unbearable three weeks. Grandma and her bf quarrelled every single day they were here. They quarrel first thing in the morning, when they wake up. They pick fights over the smallest things, and sometimes over nothing at all. They quarrel when we go out, and spoil everyone's moods. The worst thing for me is to listen to the cussing and the swearing. I never knew how bad it sounded until I heard them every day for the last twenty days. It is bad enough to put me off swearing. And it has also reminded me of how short tempered I am with J. The plus that came out of this is that I remember to treat J better, to curb my temper and be a million times more patient.
So for 2011, my resolution list:
Live simple.
Budget all spending.
Eat fresh. Eat healthy.
Sun salutations every morning;
A full Ashtanga workout at least twice a week.
Swear less, be patient more.
Love J everyday like it is the last.
