making a difference

This morning, I was thinking about how future commitments affect how I am being today.

For example, I noticed that my upcoming family vacation to Hawaii (in December) has made it important (and even urgent) for me to put energy into healing my relationship with my family. This is the first time we are taking a trip together like this. I created this idea for a couple of reasons. One, because I was feeling disappointed that Christmas is filled with so much toxic waste: packaging, stuff we don't need, unhealthy food, resentments, comparisions, envy, despair. It's supposed to be "The most wonderful time of the year!" and yet, every year, I find myself dreading it -- or looking at ways to "get through" Christmas. (anybody seen this movie, "Surviving Christmas"? I understand the concept.

Anyway, I wanted to create the possibility of a Christmas that was filled with more experiences, less waste. Quality of time, not quantity of stuff. So I talked with my family about this, a few months ago. "Hey family, what if we decided that, rather than giving each other presents, we would invest that money in a vacation together?" Somewhere we would be excited about, like Hawaii! Last month, I found myself looking at airline prices and noticed a fare sale. An opportunity to take action! We got an awesome deal: less than $350 RT per person. We're going! I'm excited! I decided to plan this around the weekend of the Honolulu marathon, which I walked in 2001. I am going to walk the marathon again. And so I get to let myself be affected by this commitment! What does my level of fitness need to be, such that I will be able to walk the marathon and be entirely energetic for the whole six days of vacation?

What does "energetic" look like? How does it show up?

For now, I know it means moving my body daily and fueling myself with healthy food.

Extraordinary.