SKIRT! Team 2011 Mind~ Body~ Spirit Challenge

Being part of the “SKIRT! Team 2011 Mind~ Body~ Spirit Challenge” is an exciting opportunity to lay everything out on the line; to set some goals, recognize my weaknesses, but mostly to work at finding a little balance in my life. I hope you will be an active participant in my journey and that you will share in my successes, cheer me through my failures, and hopefully help me along when I lose my way.

So, to begin this challenge I needed to set a few goals. Because, if there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that goals shouldn’t be set in isolation. 

1. I will be transparent, accountable, and above all else, honest about my successes, and my failures. I will blog each Monday through the end of March on my efforts.

2. Mind – Mostly I’ll be looking for ways to make my life both positive and meaningful.  I suspect this is going to be a pretty hard goal.  Because aren’t we all searching for meaning in our lives…and haven’t our great philosophers tried to tackle this one? For me, I find that it is sometimes easier to drown out my need for meaning with TV, radio, and brainless activities. So, I will share with you the mistakes I make along the way, what I learn from those mistakes, how I intend to correct them, and hopefully I’ll find my life’s meaning somewhere in there.

3. Body – Ok, this is a no brainer for me. I’m 5’4” and 162.6 lbs exactly!  I don’t particularly like going to the gym though I love how I feel when I’m going regularly.  I’ve been involved with a weight loss program for a little over a year now and have stalled out these last 6 months.  So, even though I’ve come a long way from the “obese” BMI that I was at the beginning of my journey, I’m still stalled out at an “overweight” BMI.  I desperately want to experience being “average” but something is holding me back.  Be it will power, fear, laziness, or just plain liking to eat. So, welcome to my healthy body battle! 

4^th: Spirit – This will be the hardest journey for me.  I think of myself as being spiritual but not particularly religious.  I strongly believe that there is a greater presence in the world, God if you will.  I also believe that our lives are only as meaningful as we make them. I’m just not convinced that God is actively involved in my life.  Nor do I particularly believe that this greater presence has any interest in my miniscule existence or the meaning that I find in it.  I struggle constantly with what, if any, relationship I may have with God.         

So, there I am, laid bare to you. I hope that you will help me stay accountable.  That you will help me learn from my mistakes and hopefully share some of your wisdom along the way.