2009, How Sweet It Is

Happy New Year world!

Today and this year started as every day should: with a kiss at midnight. And I’m happy to say it hasn’t been downhill at all from there. After a wonderful brunch of homemade soup and bread I was off to my place to work. And work I have, for about 10 straight hours, on my thesis.

One can almost taste Buddhist Ethics after 10 hours of reading, writing, searching, and analyzing it. It tastes a bit like triscuits, coffee, and sigg water (at least here it does).

I have a stack of huge, imposing, very-smart-guy looking books on one side of me and a messy pile of printed articles and notes on the other: ahh, heaven.

If I could just have 364 more days just like this (well, close – some days I will have to go buy more triscuits and coffee, and then there’s photography, hiking… oh, and my job….). Well, ok, how about 100 days just like this? I’ll take 80. No less.

Resolutions? Well, besides resolving to accept myself just the way I am 🙂 I guess I’ll resolve to:

Get back into shape: a December filled with travels, bad weather and great food gives me a little work to do.
Get 200 pages of my thesis written.
Keep working on book side-projects if and when time allows.
Spend plenty of time in nature – preferably with friends and family (& camera!).
Give 3-4 presentations on Buddhist Ethics (2 already scheduled, this month and April).
Get an article published.
Meditate a lot, with 14 days (minimum) in retreat.
Continue to build and strengthen the campus and other Buddhist communities in and around Missoula.
Find more creative and inspiring ways for us (as Sanghas) all to give back to our community.
Rebuild my vision board with these and other visions I plan to bring about in the next 12 months (I already see the perfect spot).

That should be plenty to keep me busy. Maybe too much. Probably. 🙂 Anyhow. May peace and joy fill your lives this year and all to come. May you find freedom from suffering and the causes of suffering.