A few weeks ago I reached the ripe old age of 28. In thinking of some things I'd like to change or enhance in my life I realized that thank G-d I am very blessed. For many things. I'm usually fairly humble and listing some of these things is a bit out of my comfort zone, but it's for a good reason. First of all I'm blessed with my family. I have a wonderful wife and four ridiculously delicious kids (the oldest just turned 5 today). But being my birthday and all I'd like to talk more about myself. I'm blessed with health. I've been the within the same 5 pounds for the past 10 years. I don't get sick very often. Naturally I am quite athletic. Nothing spectacular, but I can run, jump, play ball (besides basketball. I don't know if it was the fact that I didn't play much of it growing up or something else, but I was always felt a bit clumsy playing b-ball), jump rope, skip, hula-hoop, walk on my hands and dance. I'm blessed with a very interesting way of thinking. My mind runs in strange directions and it's usually quite a enjoyable trip. I'm good with words and if there's a pun somewhere I find it with alarming alacrity (though I usually keep it to myself). I'm extremely optimistic. Both in regards to people and in outcomes. I mostly see the good in people and just assume everything will work out. I'm smart. Not genius smart, just smart. I can figure most things out fairly quickly and am a fast learner. I have a good eye for color, composition and style. I know what matches with what (though I don't always care about my own dress). I'm a "nice guy". People usually like me and I don't really have many people I don't get along with. I see a lot of what other people miss (and miss a lot of what other people see). I see expressions, emotions, relationships and undercurrents (I don't see what people actually look like. I can talk to someone for an hour and not know what color her hair is). I see happy people as pretty people. Really.
Yes, I'm blessed.
Of course I'm not perfect or even close, but that's not the point. The point is after 28 years what have I done to build on these blessings? How have I harnessed these blessings, built on them, and used them to make the world a better place? And honestly the answer is a bit scary. I could be in shape so easily, but I'm not. I hardly dance and I never play ball. I don't write enough or think enough. Yes I'm optimistic, but sometimes I let that get in the way. I push things off thinking its all going to work out anyways. I'm "nice" but sometime I'm just too tired to actually care. I work so my family can be happy and healthy but sometimes I let my work get in the way of those same things I'm working for.
So, in continuation of this post, I'm going to be listing a few resolutions. I already spoke about getting in shape so I'll just write a bit about that. I'm going to dance for at least one hour a week. It's awesome exercise, it's something I like and am good at. Why not get better? I'm going to sleep. It's the weakest link in my health right now and I'm going to do everything I could to remedy that. I'm going to spend at least an hour a week writing. Either for this blog, for magazines, or just for my self. I will spend at least 20 minutes a day learning Torah. No more fiction (not that I spend much time there). I am a readaholic and I need to focus that on something more productive. I am going to master algebra this year. I will shoot for myself. A lot. I'll be writing a whole post about this one of these days. No email or internet after 8 pm. It's just not healthy for me. Until my schedule becomes remotely normal, every night I will spend a few minutes outlining my plans for the next day. Including how much and when I will spend time with my family. I'm going to make time to do the things I enjoy. For example, I love skiing and hiking and just being in the mountains. But I never go. What's up with that? And I'm finally going to implement Daivd Allen's method of Getting Things Done. Again.
How much of that will i actually implement or accomplish? I'm not entirely sure, but I'll post updates every once in a while. Wish me luck! (I don't really need luck, more like some self-control and fortitude)
Here are a few photos from a walk with one of my blessings.
Enjoy.
