It’s New Year’s Eve. As we bid a year farewell and usher in a New Year [sans Snooki in Times Square], we are all making resolutions and commitments to guide us into the next 365 day marathon we call a year.
I’m canning the idea of having resolutions because in all honesty I’ll probably break them within a few weeks. Instead, I’m picking a theme that I want to mark 2011… a theme that will guide choices and decisions I make… a theme that will hopefully be consistent for me throughout the year.
My theme for 2011 is HEALTH.
I know everyone is on the health bandwagon at the beginning of the year but for me it’s not just about going on a crash diet, getting a gym membership that will be barely used, or getting PX90 [although a friend of mine did last year and had amazing results]. For me, I want to focus on being healthy in three specific areas of my life: Body, Mind, and Soul.
Healthy Body
I go through seasons of being into exercise, eating healthy and being disciplined with my body, but as of late that hasn’t been the case. That’s going to change this year. Putting out there like this sort of obligates me to it so that’s why I’m writing it.
I recently joined my neighborhood gym and to jumpstart the New Year I’ve purchased 2 months worth of personal training sessions.
Oh yeah, it’s on… watch out!
But for real, I am ready to have a healthier lifestyle and actually enjoy it. Buying that many sessions was a huge financial commitment [on a church staff salary!] but I’m looking at it as an investment in myself and I’m praying it pays off!
I’m meeting with my trainer over the weekend and I’m sure that’s where we will tackle the nitty-gritty with diet and everything else, but I’m ready!
Healthy Mind
I am a HUGE fan of counseling. For awhile it was surrounded by an odd stigma for me, but when I finally took the step and went I found it was one of the best decisions I had ever made. I’ve gone to counseling on and off for the past few years and have found it to be so helpful and enlightening on so many levels. You don’t have to be facing some terrible situation or challenge to necessitate going, it’s just good to have a safe place and safe person to dialogue with and have insight gleaned from an outside perspective. I believe counseling is one of the healthiest ways we can all care for ourselves.
Given some of the major changes in my life as of late… transitioning out of every day church life into consulting, etc… I felt like this would be a great opportunity for me to go through individual counseling. So, just yesterday I went to a new counseling center and will begin regular counseling sessions to process, learn, and grow through this new season of life. I’m so excited.
Healthy Soul
Oh my soul.
For the first time in my adult life I’ll actually be able to attend church as an everyday person and not a staff member. That’s pretty freaking exciting to me. No responsibilities, no people coming up to me to ask me questions… it’s going to be so nice! I really believe it will be one of the best things for my soul, and, ironically, I will be attending Soul City Church.
I think in ministry one of the easiest things we can neglect is our own soul and spiritual growth. We can get so busy doing the work of ministry that we don’t allow God the time or space in own lives to minister to us. I definitely have been guilty of that. My newfound freedom of not being obligated to go to church because I work for one will be interesting. It will be great to go because I want to and even greater to be plugged into a new church community that’s different than the one I’ve been connected to.
Soul City is a great place and has some great things happening and I’m so excited to attend, connect with others in community, contribute and be involved as an Everyday Joe. I really believe it’s going to be a transformational experience for me and I can’t wait to see what God will do.
So there you go. It’s out there. Healthy is my theme for 2011… a healthy mind, healthy body and healthy soul.
What’s your theme for 2011?
