girls talk: planning for better health

I personally dislike making "New Year's Resolutions" just for the sake of having some at the beginning of the year, since resolutions usually fizzle out. I instead prefer to make practical plans. The former is an expression of good intentions, or things that should happen; while the latter entails definite, measurable, realistic objectives, or things I will make happen and how I will make them happen. The difference is that resolutions are vague and therefore have the tendency to fade into the background; plans and objectives are well-defined, time-bound and written and provide a referable "tracking system".

For the first week of January, we're girls talk-ing about what we hope for / plan for about our health.

This year I intend to get some physical exercise back into my routine. I used to walk on the treadmill regularly, but that all stopped when I noticed that our particular treadmill was too hard on the ankles (and then there was a convenient change in work schedules, so I decided to ditch walking altogether, haha). Recently though I noticed how much easier - and more fun - it is to take actual walks outside, especially with a good, comfortable pair of running shoes. I got the Hubby to be my "walking partner". We'll be walking at least twenty minutes, three times a week. After we get used to the routine, we'll increase it to thirty minutes, and then maybe to forty or an hour.

Health not only refers to physical health, am i right? With that in mind, I intend to maintain my emotional and mental health by continuing to do what I've been doing the past several years:

• Choose my friends. While anybody is welcome to be a friend, not everyone must be allowed in my inner circle. A woman's inner circle contributes to her personality, and I don't want anyone's negative vibes or misplaced values influencing me.
• Choose what I allow in my mind, because my thoughts shape my attitudes and so on. It pays to be discerning when it comes to simple things like books, movies, music and stuff. It's also good to be a critical thinker regarding the stories people tell, i.e., don't be an idiot.
  
  

About health - I was watching a rerun of "America's Next Top Model" last night, and the judges mentioned that true beauty lies in health. A truly beautiful person, they say, is really just a picture of good physical, emotional and mental health. With that definition of beauty, I aim to be a person who is beautiful and brings out beauty in others.