Your Way

So, lately I've been focusing on a few things. Since my 'liberation' from school last December, I've had a lot more free time, but not a lot of funds to do anything drastic :)

One thing that I've been thinking about is trying to eat healthier. As I've been thinking a lot, I've realized some things are just not going to happen. I had to figure out what I was willing to change and what my goals were.

This is not going to happen. But: I recently ate a little squash and didn't die, that's progress right?

I've found it incredibly hard to cook for just myself. I'm have a hard time when it's just for me, to put in basically any effort. A full year ago I was in a dinner group. We had dinner together about 4-5 times a week. The rest of the days we were to fend for ourselves. Since there were so many of us, we only had to cook once every 3 weeks. It was fabulous. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy cooking, but I loved not needing to most of the time. It meant that I got a real meal most days, it meant I was social and had friends, I was saving money, and these meals were not only delicious but fairly healthy.

Now I am living on my own in a faraway land (...10 minutes from where I used to live, and I have two roommates, so neither is true...). I've discovered - and remembered - some things: I don't really like the smell of kimchi (one of my roommates is Korean), but I do enjoy cleaning, making my apartment a home, hanging out with friends {old and new}, love reading, my job is pretty great, and that I want to - and can in my own way - make a noticeable difference for good. Sometimes I feel a little lost/weak in the new chapter, especially when some key pieces don't quite make sense right now. Yet, I know in whom I trust, and I can see His hand shaping my life, now and eternally. I gotta say, He is doing a fabulous job, my life is so blessed and I am so loved. Yes, I have a lot to look forward to, and a great foundation of opportunities to work with and learn from.

My friend in my new ward was talking about how he hates writing in a journal, but recognizes the value. Where journal writing is his goal, he can set up ways to get there, he just needs to find a way that works for him. I had one friend mention how she struggled with daily scripture reading until she found a way that worked for her, audio playback on her iPhone.

In life, we are faced with these types of challenges all the time. We don't want to deviate from the truth, and yet we're not perfect yet and it can be very destructive to expect that (though we should not plan to fail). For me, I know I could buy healthy food and really hope that I'd eat it. I know I won't though. Or, at least it would go bad before I could convince myself to eat it. Instead, I surfed health food blogs and what not, and looked for things I was already doing. Then, I looked for little ways to make it healthier, and feel enabled to make and keep making small changes. One day, I won't just be cooking for myself. And, I will have found a sustainable way to keep doing what is right.

There are ways we can improve, and it doesn't have to be major changes, just small ones day by day. My goal in life is, as many readers know, is to keep moving forward every day. I figure, if life is a marathon, and I can only manage to get an inch per day, at least I am making progress. Now, life and progress is measured on many different planes, so it can be hard to know what to work on. Often it feels like spinning plates.

Find a way to continuously improve, that works for you. Find your way. I'll give you a hint: prayer and scripture study, and talking with good people, will really help.