Here's to 2009

I stopped making new year's resolutions a long time ago. I never kept them, and the list of things I knew I should do hanging over my head was a little too much for me at the beginning of the year. This year, instead of resolutions, I'm just looking for ways to improve my life and challenge myself to doing something good for myself and the world.

So, without further adieu, here are things I would like to do/change in 2009.

I want to invest more in people.
I have a lot of friends, but I am looking to invest more deeply in those friendships. I want to enjoy time with my friends, and become a deeper part of their life. I want to share their joys and successes and I want to weep with their fears, frustrations and hurts. I want to share myself with people and for them to feel free to share their lives with me.

I want to invest in my marriage to keep it healthy and strong. I want to take more weekends away and I want to enjoy our time together. Life together is a precious commodity, and I want to enjoy those moments and file those memories away.

I want to continue being healthy.
During the last part of 2009, I took control of my health and started getting serious about Jazzercise. I hit my goal of 50 classes by doing most of them between the end of October and the end of December. My friend Jenna and I completed our goal of 36 classes to earn a Jazzercise tote. The 'prizes' are good, but for the most part, it is just about me feeling better about myself. I have more energy and I can feel my body changing. While I am sad that the number on the scale is not changing as quickly as I would like, I am positive I will continue seeing changes in 2009. We have a pictorial directory this year and I want to lose weight before it happens. Between diet and continued exercise (hopefully four times a week), I feel like I can reach my goal.

I want to submit more writing for contests and publications.
And, by more writing, I should just say writing. 2008 was consumed with a lot of stuff, but not much of it involved me putting the pen to the paper, either by hand or by computer. So, I need to do more of that. I would like to submit one short story, article or poem to something every month. Even if nothing comes of it, the discipline of writing and submitting is a healthy exercise. In addition to writing small things, I want to continue working on my dream - to become a published author someday. I realize that I will never be an author without actually writing, so 2009 is the year for me!

I want to be open to whatever comes my way.
I have no idea what 2009 holds, but I know that it will be a year full of memories, experiences and new adventures. I want to love more, to live more and the experience more. I know that God will lead my in strange and unusual ways, but I am excited to see what will happen.