Chris

Be a good steward of your gifts. Protect your time. Feed your inner life. Avoid too much noise. Read good books, have good sentences in your ears. Be by yourself as often as you can. Walk. Take the phone off the hook. Work regular hours.

Jan Kenyon, “A Hundred White Daffodils”

I like to borrow e-books from the library. If I buy a physical book, it will be only after I know it is a book I will love and come back to.This prevents me from buying and owning books I don’t love. Saves money too.

Life as an extrovert can be rewarding and exciting. A dual life as an introvert is quiet, inward, reflective.

I am not a perfectionist by nature. So why do I think my writing has to be perfect and hinder my creativity?

Words without action seems fraudulent to me. But here I am, a big fraud.

Am I following my desires or am I on cruise control?

The Soma,(mind-altering joy drug featured in the book “Brave New World”) is spot on for current events. Media, politics, social media, 24-hr “Breaking News”, etc, all distract us from what is real. Be wary, mindful and discerning with the intake of these drugs.

Mindful meditation and breathing reduces physical and mental concerns.

Our neural passages are malleable, meaning, we can change ourselves for the better if we choose to.

The easy path is way too easy. Challenge myself.

Being enthusiastic about something should be worth 20 IQ points alone.

What did I learn, or discover during the year of 2022?

“I learned that I have more to learn.”

My book reading total surpassed the goal of 22 books in 2022. I keep track because I need to look back to remember what I have read. The number of books read is pointless if I haven’t learned something or retain the enjoyment of the novel.

I learned that I know almost nothing of consequence anymore and this needs to change.

By the time this post has been read, I have managed to survive fifty years in 2022. But in my mind, I think I am just getting started. I’ve learned that I have become complacent and content with what I have. But then again,

“Nothing good comes when you are comfortable and cozy”

I don’t want to talk about things and not see change. I want to make things happen for myself.

I have learned that politics, media, and social media have validated my personal beliefs that they are useless. Those three have justified my thinking in their actions and behaviors.

Surprising myself, I learned that I am adaptable and can acclimate myself towards the cold winter months. The shorter days no longer affect my mood. The harsh weather, barring any blizzards, is tolerable enough for me to work outdoors all day.

Less is more. The desire to purge the extra stuff in the house is real. Or as a friend tells it: “De-bullshit my life.”

I learned that I am in better shape than some people my age, but there is much room for improvement. I learned, once again, that less truly is more.

I discovered that I am more prone to becoming an introvert these days as opposed to me previously being an extrovert.

I am reminded that the desire to travel to Cambodia, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Spain and Portugal is growing stronger.

I learned my Spanish sucks but that will become rectified in 2023.

I learned the desire to tune my bicycle and hit the city’s trails is still there. I learned that there are more trails to hike and there are always more places to explore.

I learned that there are amazingly intelligent and talented individuals outside of social media. I want to be friends and learn from them.

I learned I need to be even more patient and more flexible.

I learned a newfound appreciation for classical music, Tibetan singing bowls and other meditative music.

I learned the perfect workflow does not exist. The perfect book does not exist and I won’t stop looking for either.

I learned that the best laid plans are elusive.

I learned not to trust employers because they will always sell out good employees to save money.

I learned to trust and appreciate my supportive family and friends more.

I learned that domestic air travel is to be avoided if possible.

I am learning that despite having and maintaining a website for twenty years, that hitting “Publish” in my software app is still one of my favorite things to do.

The 2022 book has been closed and a new book with twelve chapters has been opened in 2023. After the past two months of sloth, gluttony and consumption, I learned I am ready to see positive changes this year.

A quick list of things I want to accomplish for the new year; or more accurately, “Changes I need to see in 2023.”

• Learn Spanish
• More meditation & yoga
• Learn Adobe Bridge, PS and LR more
• Quit smoking
• No alcohol
• No Soda
• Lower BP

Learn Spanish with the Duolingo app in small increments everyday. Attempt to retain it by using it in the real world as opposed to just going through the lessons and forgetting it. I know people who have done this and with good results. Success in this will be able to have conversational Spanish by the end of 2023. Bonus: the Italian & Spanish languages are similar so the Italian module is downloaded as well. Two languages in one year? Ambitious!

Meditation and yoga almost daily. I have the software to do so such as Apple Fitness + and Music meditation. Guided podcasts, etc. I just grabbed a new padded floor mat to help with this. Success here will be lower BP, increased flexibility, calmer mind, more patience.

Learning Adobe products should be easy. I have the fundamentals down because I’ve been using it for years. But I want a deep dive. This will come in handy for my photo archive organization. The end result will be an organized archive system where I can easily find and use any one photo on demand.

After the NYE party on Saturday, the pipe and tobacco will be stored away in a tote. I am over smoking and the removal should help. I need to purchase some gum or mints to help with those cravings. This will help me breathe easier, lower my BP and overall health.

Stopping alcohol consumption is not difficult for me, even when I am at a bar I can refrain. I should see less weight and overall health as a result.

Lowering my BP should be my number one priority this year. Less, salt. Less sugar. Less eating out. Increase my cardio with more walking, yoga. More supplements and eventually the diuretic prescription again. All of this should help me lower my weight and eventually those readings will come down.

When I fall (and I will fall), get back up, learn from my mistakes, and continue pushing forward because failure is a byproduct of growth. It’s all part of the process. If I plan on recycling the exact resolution I’ve made every year since 2018, perhaps it’s time to try something different. Now that I have the right tools, making 2023 the year I follow through on my New Year’s resolution is entirely up to me.