Daily check-in thread for July 6, 2008

I had an ice cream yesterday.
so still at 1/30. I am trying to reduce my junk food intake and eat healthy. I have to appreciate and love healthy food. When I see healthy food I immediately think that it must taste aweful.

Fred's Challenge:

I will do something everyday in the process of selecting the best on line masters program for me.

What I did today:

Continued to work on letter of intent/statement of purpose. It's closer to a final version but it still needs more polishing.

Six for six

HI all,
I've gotten a late start on my July challenge due to the holiday weekend. But today I did it - got through my morning routine of yoga and a little exercise before 10 a.m. Hope you're off to a good start.

Meditate Daily:

Morning - 10 minutes
Evening - 30 minutes

Some thoughts that pass through my mind when trying to meditate:
* I should be doing something else
* This is boring
* I don't think I'm doing this right

Sometimes during meditation I feel very relaxed - but other times it just
"doesn't seem to be working". When I have such thoughts, I try to remind myself
that I've made a commitment to meditate daily, that following through will
build good habits, and it will get easier with time.

Well, I really blew it last night, as I was out of town for my parent's anniversary party. Left my mother's nursing home at 10pm (I was lying on her bed, she was sitting in her chair!), drove to my brothers. By the time I was in bed its was after midnight.

Anyway, I am back home in my own city, made it to evening church service tonight, and as it's 9:45, I'm going to be back on track. Have already blown the not eating after 8, as I missed dinner and snacked at church; came home and there was all sorts of junk food (chocolate, etc) purchased in my one day absence! So tonight things are on the mend.

I have a suggestion for veganjay: I found an awesome 2 CD set in a Buddhist store which features a woman by the name of Pema Chodron. I believe she is a Buddhist nun, and she talks about exactly what you are talking about, about the challenge of focusing while meditating. She does it with a lot of humour, laughing at herself as she is supposed to be the "expert", and shares the myriad of funny things going on in her head. The set is called Getting UNstuck. I tried to find the cd case and can't just now; the producer is Sounds True www.soundstrue.com at P.O. Box 8010 Boulder, Colorado 80306. I usually fall asleep listening to her, so can't even vouch for the 2nd cd. But she's an awesome speaker, and it acknowledges the reality of what you are experiencing. Great to be so self-aware! Here's the ISBN #: 1-59179-238-X

Get up early - 5.5/6
Work - 6/6
Study - 6/6

The morning was really great. As soon as my alarm went off I jumped out of bed (well, my bed is a mattress on the floor of my living room so I guess technically I stood up out of bed but whatever) full of energy and not tired at all. The same thing happened this morning. Sticking to a fixed wake up time and getting out of bed as soon as I wake up is really starting to pay off.

Off day for work and getting up.

Had dance practice today, and pushed myself to go and really work hard, even though I was exhausted from my day trip with the bf.
4/6

No reading.
0/6

Pop challenge 6/6 (This has been much easier than I thought it would be ! )

Journal Challenge 5/6

I did it :D