Quit Now

I’m sending out a prayer of gratitude for the Quit Now volunteer staff in Denver.  Thank you, Austin, for talking with me about my smoking abstention experience.  Life is an adventure, and I need a little help now and then.  The thing is, in 25 years of smoking, I’ve recently developed the desire to examine and analyze what’s behind my choice to smoke or not to smoke.  The surface issue is: If I want to smoke, I will.  The underlying issues are more complex; control, comfort, relaxation, security, ritual, habit, addiction, and much more. So, 1-800-784-8669.  That is the numerology of the day for me.  Sure I want to smoke, but today, I’m choosing not to.

Peace,

Julia

P.S.  Music can help redirect my attention… one of my personal favorites is Great Gig in the Sky from Pink Floyd’s  Dark Side of the Moon album.  It takes me to another realm. 🙂

Miracles

Miracles never cease. Here it is a week since my first “postaweek2011”.  I have been smoke free since Thursday January 20th.  Unfortunately I have not eaten more healthily, nor have I exercised, but I think abstaining from cigarette smoking does count as a healthy living practice. I am scheduled to have a massage tonight, which will go a long way toward improving my physical and mental health, today at least. I have also had an acupuncture treatment and a chiropractic adjustment in the past week.  To top it all off, I had a wonderful weekend date that included friends, food, hockey (watching, not playing), and a hot tub.  All in all it was a banner week. 

Blessing

“Love consists of this: two solitudes that meet, protect and greet each other. ”
—      Rainer Maria Rilke

postaweek

It is a Full Moon in Cancer, and a great time to shed the old and prepare for the new. At work we’re starting a healthy living team, so I will use that and other challenges as inspiration for a weekly blog post.  Starting tomorrow, we have 100 days to meet our goals of increased physical activity, healthier eating, and weight loss.  Another challenge that was posed to me recently is to look for miracles every day, so I’ll include some of  those with my healthy living progress. 

Here is my beginning list of miracles:

• I awoke, alive and breathing today.
• My body and mind are intact.
• The electricity in my apartment works.
• I have indoor plumbing and heat.
• My car started.
• I have a job.
• I got two hugs today.
• The sun came out.
• I got a card in the mail from a friend.
• I got an invitation to a blog challenge!

These may not be categorized as miracles by some, but they are things that are mostly out of my control, except the hugs. I can usually manage to get at least one of those a day.  However, all these things that I have no control over continually happen.  I can sometimes take them for granted and forget how blessed and grateful I am for all of them, and for all of the wonderful relationships in my life.

Peace!