What's your '09 motto? Mine is simple as can be.

Between facebook, twitter, and various blogs, I can't help but see resolution after resolution for 2009. I do have a few of my own, and much like everyone else, it's hit or miss whether I will still remember those vows come December 31.

But, this year, I am trying something different. I'm creating a motto for myself -- a theme, a niche, a style, so to speak.

My motto for 2009 is SIMPLICITY.

Those who followed the GAL blog last year know that I recently fell head first into a rut. It was partially my own fault, but it was such an eye opener. For once, I felt like someone turned the stage lights on, and all the "stuff" I plowed through and busied myself with suddenly seemed insignificant.

I pledged to turn down the volume (and pace)... to peel away all unnecessary things in life that drained me... and to reclaim my time and my sanity.

So far, I:

• Figured out the life I want (in all aspects, not just work) and decided to only do things that get me there.
• Saying "no" or "absolutely not" to anything that doesn't meet the criteria in the first bullet.
• Realized the person I have to say "no" to most often is myself.
  
• Reassessed what I wanted out of work, and where work falls on my list of priorities.
  
• Got over the fear of addressing my work desires.
• Got over the fear of leaving work if staying meant putting work above family and my life.
• Simplified many of my relationships across the board, and ignited those that actually uplift, humor, educate, inspire, or encourage.
• Scratched many, many things off the to do list and said to h&!! with those things.
• Became physically active again, ultimately dropping 12 pounds over 2 months.
• Stopped moving at lightening speed and learned to enjoy the feeling of sitting still for longer than 0.5 seconds (which meant, at times, not blogging).
  

For once in a long time I feel at peace. I feel more at peace than when I first wrote, "The Get A Life Campaign." I had allowed the book promotion to eat up all the free time I'd created. Then, I went back to work in medicine. And so goes the story. But, enough about me...

What is YOUR motto for 2009?

No more items added to your to do list, more rules you know you'll break, more crap to stress over. Where's your head this year? What's your theme (or theme music) for the Oh-nine? I want to know...

While you think, enjoy this song, entitled "A Song of Simplicity" by piano artist, Elijah Bossenbroek:






Dr. Ty
From the GAL Blog
www.getalifecampaign.com
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How Making Assumptions Ruins Our Lives

I just finished "The Four Agreements" by don Miguel Ruiz. I can't say that I whole heartedly believe in every word in the book, but it raises some very necessary awareness about the destructive patterns that we (people) unconsciously subscribe to every day.


The piece that I want to pass on today has to do with how we are ruled (negatively) by our assumptions, and that it boils down with us not feeling worthy of really knowing the truth and asking questions:

"If others tell us something, we make assumptions to fulfill our need to know and to replace the need to communicate. Even if we hear something and we don't understand, we make assumptions about what it means and then believe the assumptions. We make all sorts of assumptions because we don't have the courage to ask questions.

These assumptions are made so fast and unconsciously most of the time because we have agreements to communicate this way. We have agreed that it is not safe to ask questions; we have agreed that if people love us, they should know what we want or how we feel. When we believe something, we assume we are right about it to the point that we will destroy relationships in order to defend our position.

We make the assumption that everyone sees life the way we do. We assume that others think the way we think, feel the way we feel, judge the way we judge, and abuse the way we abuse."

So today's take home message is to work on NOT letting negativity in any form (especially assumptions) from running your life to the point of unhappiness and wrecking your interpersonal relationships. As much as people dislike being confrontational, isn't it better to just put everything on the table and know the truth rather than walking around feeling hurt/angry/sad about something that you misinterpreted??

Today is NO ASSUMPTIONS DAY -- don't assume your interpretation is always the right one. There's always another side to the story.

Dr. Ty
www.getalifecampaign.com