Reflections

Tonight is the eve of my 36th birthday. One year ago I made the decision to live in peace and to pursue it at all costs. I also made the decision to 'blog' about my journey as a means of sharing my experiences with others as well as developing my skills as a writer. Looking back over this year, I'm not only amazed at how quickly it has passed, but also at the changes in my life as a result of this decision. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't always remained in a state of peace, in fact, I've wandered far from it many times. But one thing I have developed is a keen awareness of my emotional state at any given moment. Not in an obsessive sort of way, but rather an internal thermostat if you will, one where peace is the 'set temperature' and any deviance from that by more than a couple of degrees sets off an alarm of sorts that lets me know I need to take the appropriate measures to restore that setting to its rightful position. I never realized how much I had ignored or suppressed emotions until I made a definite decision to influence them towards a positive end. There is so much power in sheer acknowledgment! I am so much more aware and honest with myself - and others- and 'owning' where I've been at internally has made a huge difference in dealing with the junk and moving on. I am going to take the next few days to really contemplate the changes in my life because I know there are many and I'm interested in taking stock. I will attempt to blog about anything I see that's been significant but for now, I just wanted to check in and celebrate the journey so far. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for me!