Mindful

is my word for 2008. It's been right there on my sidebar since early January. I have not forgotten it. Yet, I have not always carried the meaning and intent of the word with me throughout the year. It's time to take a look and reflect on just how mindful I am being in different areas of my life. Let's start with the successes:

I am more mindful of who I spend my time with these days. I try to focus on my family, both immediate and extended. I do not get together with people "just because" I feel I have to or because they invited me to join them. If my heart isn't truly in it, I rarely go along.

I am more mindful of my TV viewing and don't just watch whatever is on. True, I'm not always watching quality TV, like Big Brother 10, but I don't spend hours watching TV just because it is there. I'd much rather read or knit.

I am mindful of my profession and the needs of my students. I know I can improve on my craft of teaching and I read books, have professional discussions, and visit outstanding educator websites to remain inspired.

Now, here are some areas where I really need to be more mindful:

My personal relationship with God. I've stopped attending Mass at our church because I didn't get anything out of it. I'm thinking about searching for a new church home, possibly not even Catholic. It's weighing heavily on my mind.

My health. I'm still carrying around the extra 10 lbs. from the holidays. While 10 lbs. may not seem like alot to someone, it is alot to me. After losing nearly 90 lbs., I am trying to be mindful not to put all that weight back on. I got my annual lab results back, and my overall cholesterol and LDL cholesterol are just a couple points above the "normal range" and are considered "high". My fasting blood sugar was normal, thank God. Diabetes is not yet knocking on my door! Anyway, I need to get back to exercising and making healthier eating choices. More home cooking, less eating out for convenience sake. To that end, I have made healthy choices since returning from San Diego on Friday. In fact, I have stopped buying soda for our home. We are big Diet Coke drinkers and I know it is just not good for you. So, I stopped buying it and instead have bought more bottled water. It's a start.

I need to be more mindful of my time. I spend too much time online and while I keep noting that over the months past, I don't necessarily cut down on it. I need to set a time each day and when that time is done, I need to shut down the computer.

I am mindful that I have done no scrapbooking all summer and in months prior to that. This fact saddens me greatly because there are stories and memories that I want to document before I forget them. All my scrapping supplies are packed away because of our home improvements. I can get to them but they are stored in the garage and our bedroom. It is not easy to get to them. So I don't do it. If nothing else, I need to write the stories down or type them on my computer while they are fresh in my mind.

Lastly, I am seriously lacking at being mindful of my spending. At one point, I was doing so well but giving myself an "allowance" each month and not using my debit card for other than groceries, etc. I have used my nice blue American Express card way too much this summer and the last few months. Impulse purchases, eating out, and other expenditures that I should have considered more carefully.

Reflection is always a good thing. I don't want to go through this life just living day to day, not thinking about making good choices with the blessings I've been given. At the rate that I am going, "mindful" may be my "One Word" for 2009 too. And, maybe, that is a good thing.