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Or has the whole world gone mad? I was sitting at dinner tonight at my local Applebee's, listening to the conversations around me. There were no happy people. None. Everyone was bitching and moaning about something, or listening to someone else bitch and moan. Most of the listeners had pained expressions on their faces, as if they would like to be anywhere in the world but the audience for the whiner across the dinner table.
Now, I realize that some might think it's the pot calling the kettle black because I brought this up in the first place, but I'm *not* complaining about it. I'm just stating what happened because it saddens me to some extent. Have we, as a society become some kind of deep well of negativity? I don't know.
The people I work with think I'm strange because I don't watch the news. Or any other TV for that matter. I want to know what they think I'm missing. I can look outside to see what the weather is so that I can dress appropriately for work (I'm not growing any crops, so the forecast for the future is of little use, and as for being accurate, they're of little use anyway). I don't need to hear about all the despair in the world, my own personal dramas and those of my friends are real enough to make me despair, if that is the emotion I choose to feel. If I want to enjoy sports, I can go to any sporting event, or follow a team's progress through the paper or the radio. I don't need TV. The only reason I have one is because I *love* movies and have built a kick-ass home theatre system. And I might buy a Playstation II one of these days. Maybe.
Anyway, I generally like to think of myself as a happy person. In fact, it looks like 2001 is going to be a wonderful year. After all the self-perpetuating disasters I've put myself through in my life, it looks like I'm finally getting my shit together. I'll be 40 this summer. I suppose it's about time. I guess one of the things that was key for me was learning not to give a shit about what anyone else thinks about you. You are the only key to your own happiness. No one else can make you happy but you. But then, I think I've written that before.
OK, before I forget, I've got to post my "10 Healthy Habits for a New Year" - and I'm going to put them in order of development.
1) - Post to my Live Journal every day, in order to get back into the habit of writing so that next year I can resolve to finish some kind of larger volume (aka a book of poetry or the great American novel).
2) - Get up at 6 a.m. consistently, 7 days a week, in order to restore my sleep patterns so that I can become healthier and achieve my subsequent goals.
3) - Drink 4.5 liters of water without fail, for the remainder of the year, no matter what it takes. This too, is essential for my good health and other fitness goals I'm setting for myself.
4) - Take a 30 minute walk every morning before breakfast. (This one is going to be a killer, I can already tell). This means going to the clubhouse and walking on the treadmill if the weather outside is yukky. 7 days a week, no slacking.
5) - Eat a healthy breakfast every morning. No more fast food breakfasts, and no more skipping meals. Every morning, same time, right after my morning walk.
6) - Add weight training to my fitness regiment. Work different muscle groups in rotation so that I do some kind of training on a daily basis.
7) - Take my lunch to work every day. Stay away from fast food and the vending machines. This is the next step in my healthy eating plan.
8) - Spend at least one hour each day working on my website. Stay focused on my goals and priorities.
9) - Make sure that I finish dinner before 8 p.m. each night. This will help regulate my hunger and assist with my sleep schedule. Limit myself to (2) restaurant meals a week.
and finally,
10) - Commit one hour every day to reading. And not sitting in front of the computer screen reading, I mean reading the various business and trade journals I subscribe to. Keep current.
Ciao for now.
Now, I realize that some might think it's the pot calling the kettle black because I brought this up in the first place, but I'm *not* complaining about it. I'm just stating what happened because it saddens me to some extent. Have we, as a society become some kind of deep well of negativity? I don't know.
The people I work with think I'm strange because I don't watch the news. Or any other TV for that matter. I want to know what they think I'm missing. I can look outside to see what the weather is so that I can dress appropriately for work (I'm not growing any crops, so the forecast for the future is of little use, and as for being accurate, they're of little use anyway). I don't need to hear about all the despair in the world, my own personal dramas and those of my friends are real enough to make me despair, if that is the emotion I choose to feel. If I want to enjoy sports, I can go to any sporting event, or follow a team's progress through the paper or the radio. I don't need TV. The only reason I have one is because I *love* movies and have built a kick-ass home theatre system. And I might buy a Playstation II one of these days. Maybe.
Anyway, I generally like to think of myself as a happy person. In fact, it looks like 2001 is going to be a wonderful year. After all the self-perpetuating disasters I've put myself through in my life, it looks like I'm finally getting my shit together. I'll be 40 this summer. I suppose it's about time. I guess one of the things that was key for me was learning not to give a shit about what anyone else thinks about you. You are the only key to your own happiness. No one else can make you happy but you. But then, I think I've written that before.
OK, before I forget, I've got to post my "10 Healthy Habits for a New Year" - and I'm going to put them in order of development.
1) - Post to my Live Journal every day, in order to get back into the habit of writing so that next year I can resolve to finish some kind of larger volume (aka a book of poetry or the great American novel).
2) - Get up at 6 a.m. consistently, 7 days a week, in order to restore my sleep patterns so that I can become healthier and achieve my subsequent goals.
3) - Drink 4.5 liters of water without fail, for the remainder of the year, no matter what it takes. This too, is essential for my good health and other fitness goals I'm setting for myself.
4) - Take a 30 minute walk every morning before breakfast. (This one is going to be a killer, I can already tell). This means going to the clubhouse and walking on the treadmill if the weather outside is yukky. 7 days a week, no slacking.
5) - Eat a healthy breakfast every morning. No more fast food breakfasts, and no more skipping meals. Every morning, same time, right after my morning walk.
6) - Add weight training to my fitness regiment. Work different muscle groups in rotation so that I do some kind of training on a daily basis.
7) - Take my lunch to work every day. Stay away from fast food and the vending machines. This is the next step in my healthy eating plan.
8) - Spend at least one hour each day working on my website. Stay focused on my goals and priorities.
9) - Make sure that I finish dinner before 8 p.m. each night. This will help regulate my hunger and assist with my sleep schedule. Limit myself to (2) restaurant meals a week.
and finally,
10) - Commit one hour every day to reading. And not sitting in front of the computer screen reading, I mean reading the various business and trade journals I subscribe to. Keep current.
Ciao for now.
