How are you tending/ to the emerging story of your life?

-Carol Hegedus

In my desire to be present, to be wide awake, I am keeping track of the emerging story of my life in several ways. It feels ambitious and necessary and challenging to approach presence and wide-awakeness, to tell my story, from so many angles. I have fallen short. I have questioned. I have had to put in the work. I have had to not let perfection be the enemy of the good. I have had to think about just how real I want to be. I have had to readjust and recommit. I have succeeded and failed. I have given up and stood my ground. I guess that is the point.

How am tending the emerging story of my life?

Daily Blogging

I have started daily blogging. I bought Mark Nepo’s The Book of Awakening: Having the Life You Want By Being Present to the Life You Have several years ago and have struggled to build written reflection into my daily routine. The book is a guide for daily reflection. This post is my February 10th reflection. I have heard daily blogging can be for writers what putting in miles is for runners. Training at its best – building up writing strength, flexibility, and endurance.

The Whole Life Challenge

I have completed, with varying degrees of success, several Whole Life Challenges over the last year. My husband and I have committed to a year of Whole Life Challenges – a year of tracking life habits (nutrition, exercise, hydrate, mobilize, sleep, well-being, and reflection). Each day you give yourself a score for each habit. The Challenge occurs in an on-6-week off-6-week pattern throughout the year. The goal being to weave Challenge habits into non-Challenge times. We are 5 weeks into the current Challenge.

The Gratitude Newsletter

In 2016, I started writing a gratitude newsletter. I began talking with people about gratitude and sharing our conversations to establish a gratitude practice and contribute something positive to the zeitgeist.  I have talked with more than 20 yogis, thought leaders, performers, professors, Pulitzer Prize winning journalists, a Colonel. a diplomat, community activists, policy makers, business leaders, and many others. Over more than two years I have been working on this project. It has become part of the story of my life.

Drink Control

As a lover of happy hours, cigar bars, and brewery tours, I have wondered how much I drink. How many calories? What is the financial cost? How does my drinking measure up to suggested/healthy drinking levels? To find out, I have been using an app called Drink Control to get the data. As a researcher, I want to know the numbers. I want to know the extent to drinking impacts my waistline and pocket book.

The 1000 Miles Club

I joined the 1000 Mile Club and committed to running 1,000 miles in 2017 and 2018. I fell far short both years. Here is a post I wrote about my  1,000 miles failures. I have decided to try a third time. I have already completed a half marathon in 2019, so I am off to a solid start. The key is to keep at it the entire year. The 1,000 mile goal is motivation to put on your shoes and get out the door.