The Beginning

Resolutions....
New Year's Resolutions....
2011 New Year's Resolutions....
OK let me start this blog by stating that I do not like resolutions, I never follow through with them and I end up coming to December more stressed, more frazzled and further away from any plan I made the previous January then when I started. So this is NOT a resolution. Instead, mainly for my own mental state, I will refer to it as my year of zen.
2010 marked a year of changes to be honest I really lost a lot of my mind. Let's play a quick game of catch up shall we. In 2010 I....

• Broke up with my long term boyfriend of 2 1/2 years
• moved in with 3 sorority sister's and one of their boyfriends
• found out I had a form of arthritis (I am 20 by the way)
• had my first migraine, then my second, then my third and well it goes on
• quit a job I thought I always wanted, lost a lot of friends because of it
• found myself generally unhappy with life
  

So I vowed things would be different. I was going into my second semester of my third year of university, 2011 would be my year. Not only would I have to apply for grad schools and figure out a general life plan, I also was in the pursuit of general happiness.

Then I came up with this idea of zen, living a more zen life. Sounds like a really hippy, tree hugging, dreadlocks wearing kind of thinking, I know, but follow me I promise it will start to make sense.
I always liked the sound of the word Zen, so I googled exactly what it meant, I got:

"Zen is a 1995 album recorded by French pop singer Zazie. It was her second studio album and was released on 7 January 1995"

Helpful google, very helpful. I dug a little deeper, pulled out my old religion text book and looked under the Buddhist doctrines in hopes of finding out more information about this 'zen' word. I found that Zen Buddhism is a type of Buddhist doctrine. The word 'zen' simply means meditation. One who leads a zen life emphasizes wisdom in the attainment of enlightenment.

Now I am not exactly looking for enlightenment, but I am looking for a more wisdom filled, calmer life. I don't mean less busy by any means but I am looking to strip away the excess and live the simplest life (that a modern university student living in a large Canadian city) can.

This isn't something to take lightly but there are some steps I am going to take. These steps will be:

• Cut meat out of my diet (I want to push myself out of my comfort zone and eat better food)
  
• Meditate more often
• Throw out junk, unused items, and donate old clothing (clutter in my life just clutters my mind)
• Take more time for me (between school, work, sorority life and keeping up with family this is going to be taxing but extremely important)
• Give thanks every day for the blessings I have
• Put out only positive vibes, say only positive things
  
• Go for more walks
• Drink more tea
• CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY
  

Some are more abstract than others, and some are more tangibly measured than others, but all seem to be the important (if not cliche) ways of bringing more calm into my life. I will edit the list as things come to mind, or I change my mind.