new year's intentions

Happy 2011!

So, I'm not really into new year's resolutions (it seems I'm not alone on this one -- have you seen all the anti-resolution articles and posts lately?).  The truth is, I'm not crazy about the concept of resolutions. They sound so final, so black and white; you either achieve them and check them off the list, or you don't. The few years that I've made resolutions, I've usually forgotten them by January 2nd.

This year I'd like to try setting a few intentions, rather than resolutions. Nothing to accomplish, just gentle reminders of the qualities I'd like to cultivate in my life gradually, day by day, moment by moment. I'm putting them here, "on paper," so to speak, in case I need some reminders throughout the year. Here goes.

Have more compassion for myself.  I can't argue with the words of the Buddha: "If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete." I am hard on myself. And it really doesn't get me anywhere. So in 2011 I'm going to practice having more patience with myself and acceptance of where I am, in any given moment. It won't be perfect, but I'll be working on it. And hopefully sending compassion inwards will help me radiate more of it outwards, too.

Listen to my gut. Accessing my intuition is not easy for me. Or, I want to listen to my gut, but my "monkey mind" yells so loud that it drowns everything else out. Apparently, belly meditation can help with this. (Geneen Roth discusses it in Women Food and God, which I'm reading now. Very interesting.)

Make more time to do the things I love. For me, this boils down to cooking and yoga. Basically anything involving either of these practices makes my ears perk up.

I also plan to write more often on this little blog of mine. When I escaped from medical residency in 2004, I had this completely irrational desire to be a food writer. Specifically, a food writer at Gourmet. (Okay, that didn't exactly come to fruition... ) At the time, I don't think I knew what a blog was. I certainly didn't know there were people out there writing blogs about food. But a couple of years ago I began reading a few, and decided to start one of my own. And when I actually get around to posting something, it's quite fun -- like running my very own food magazine, without the advertisers or Conde Nast execs to answer to. 

So, to start 2011 off right, I'll be posting something every day in the month of January. Might be a recipe, a photo snapped at home or around Manhattan, who knows. It will be a surprise to me, too.

Wishing you a year filled with exciting opportunities.