iGraceDaily

Feeling let down after the holidays can be natural but what I was feeling yesterday was more than just the normal after holiday “let down.”  I felt like I had been run over by a truck.  I had no energy, I had lost touch with my spiritual aspirations, I even felt that my life had somehow gone off the tracks.

So what is the best way to overcome negative feelings and bring back the contentment, joy, and spiritual depth we want in our lives?

When I get this way, I have to find some perspective on the where I am and remember it is a journey. So I sit down each new year and asked myself the following questions. I wanted to share my answers to help me be more accountable!

Hope the questions help you as much as me…

1.  What ‘s one thing you could do this year to increase your Connection to Source?
For me its reestablishing my daily meditation practice. (7 Graceful Practices: Part 1 – Meditation)

2. What’s the most amazing thing you will ask God to do in your life this year?
My request is to help me to bring peace, love and support to my family over the next 12 months.

3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your life this year?
This one is easy, I have to get more energy by exercising and losing weight!

4. What one spiritual practice do you want to make progress in this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is your single biggest time-waster you can eliminate from your life it this year?
I spend way too much time watching TV usually about 2 hours a night. If I spend two hours a night watching TV, I am exposed to 40 minutes of commercials.
If I could eliminate the commercials, I just cut my biggest time waster by 33%.  I am only going to watch TV from my DVR and eliminated the commercials.

6. What is the most helpful new habit you could incorporate to become more self reliant?
Buying one additional food item each time I go to the store. This will allow me to reach my goal of storing 3 months worth of food. This habit allows us to take advantage of food sales and not worry about weather, economic, or food delivery issues from the outside world because I already have 90 days of food stored.

7. For whose spiritual awakening will you pray most fervently this year?
A good friend who I have known for 20 years who has gone through a really difficult time this year.

8. What’s one activity you can eliminate in 2010 to simplify your life?
Checking email every minute of the day…I am setting one time a day to answer email.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your meditation life this year?
Get to bed earlier at night to be totally rested in the morning.

10. What thing that you plan to accomplish in 2010 that will matter most in 10 years?
I am starting a plan to make double payments on my mortgage and be out of debt in 5 years. Financial Freedom is no debt!

11. What’s the most difficult decision you need to make now, which will have the most positive impact in your life in 2010.
I have to close a division of my company which is not making money. I have known it was coming for some time but didn’t want to face it. Today I came in to the office an notified my clients and employees of this decision. I can already feel the burden lifting.

12. What area of your life most needs simplifying, and what’s one way you could simplify in that area?
I need to simplify my daily schedule. It is just too full of meetings. As an owner of a business everyone wants to meet with you and you can literally have meetings every hour of the day. I am setting aside one day a week for meetings that are requested by third parties other than my clients and employees ( no vendors except on Tuesdays).

13. What’s the most important need you feel lead to do something about this year?
I feel lead to start a new blog about self sufficiency, preparing for an economic downturn and how to maintain spiritual health during a difficult time.

14. What habit would you most like to establish this year to make yourself more self reliant?
I am going to start a garden this year and create the habit of growing some of the vegetables my family consumes.

15. Who do you most want to encourage this year?
I want to encourage my youngest daughter who is learning how hard life can be at times.

16. What is your most important financial goal this year, what is the most important step you can take toward achieving it?
I want to lower my personal expenses this year by moving to a smaller home. Putting my home on the market is my first step.

17. What’s the single most important thing you could do to simplify your work life this year?
Answer emails only once per day at 2:00 pm each day.

18. What’s one new way you could be a blessing to your family this year?
Maintaining my spiritual connection.

19. What’s one thing you could do this year to enrich the spiritual legacy you will leave to your children and grandchildren?
Continue to write posts at igracedaily.com

20. What book do you feel most want to read this year?
The New Self Sufficient Gardner

21. What one thing do you most regret about 2009, and what will you do about it this year?
I regret not paying greater attention to how much the fear mongering and bad news in the media was affecting me. I am going to protect my soul from negative sources of information in 2010!

22. What single blessing from God do you want to seek most earnestly this year?
Abundance in all areas of living but most especially in the areas of financial freedom, physical fitness, spiritual connection, and self sufficiency.

23. In what area of your life do you most need growth, and what will you do about it his year?
Patience is the area that I most need growth. I need to develop a sacred pause in all areas of life. Before I take action…pause. Before I purchase something….pause. Before I say something….pause.

24. What’s the most important trip you want to take this year?
I am taking a trip to Assisi, Italy in February. St Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of self sufficiency, charity and nature and I am really looking forward to learning from St. Francis on this trip.

25. What skill do you most want to learn or improve this year?
I want to become a licensed ham radio operator.

26. To what need or ministry will you try to give an unprecedented amount this year?
The Matthew Kelley Foundation!

27. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your daily commute this year?
Listen to my itouch with great positive uplifting messages. (Turning Your iPhone /iTouch into a Graceful Tool!)

28. What one spiritual concept do you most want to understand better this year, and what will you do about it?
Unconditional love is a concept my ego has a really difficult time with. Study Power vs. Force again.

29. If those who love you best gave you one piece of advice, what would it be?
This is a tough question and required me to really do some soul searching. But here is what I think they would say. Dad, this is my life let me live it! In other words, back off jack!

30. What’s the most important new item you want to buy this year?

I want to purchase a small home with some acreage to have a garden and some farm animals. My first big step into self sufficiency.

31. In what area of your life do you most need change, and what will you do about it this year?
The Financial area of my life is the one I want to spend the most time reevaluating. I want to stop consuming as much of everything, become more self sufficient, make my own power (solar energy), make my own food (garden) make my own peace by maintaining my spiritual connection regardless of circumstances. The Amish have a lot to teach us.

Join me in my quest to a more Graceful 2010!

“If you’re so inclined, it would be a huge help if you’d forward the link to this blog to three people who might be interested. Do you know someone searching for Grace in their daily lives? Someone very interested in the subject of spiritual connection? Word of mouth is the best recommendation; people really respect their friends’ suggestions.”