new year resolution

This time last year I decided to give up something that was a daily part of life. It sounds lame, but I gave up bread because I knew that I would need to be more creative with meals if I wanted to stick to it. It didnt take long for me to realise that giving up bread limited me to pastries or deep fried foods when eating out, unless i went somewhere specific. So i decided i could eat wraps and pita bread. I lasted the year and it was worth doing. I'm going to continue this year but am also going to add something to my list of no no's. So far, over the years I have stuck to the following list:

No bread
No maccas, kfc, hungry jacks, subway
No softdrink (soda water excluded)
Drink 2lt of water daily

Hmmm it seems all of my resolutions involve food..perhaps tapping into a complex I seem to have. So this new year I want to resolve to something more character building..

...and here it is...

I won't gossip about anyone - ever.

My definition of gossip - saying something about someone else that you would not honestly say directly to them also.

I've always tried not to gossip, because I know that it is not helpful in building relationships, and it is just as damaging to the gossipee as the gossiper. But, I have indeed involved myself in gossip sessions that are not needed.

I will write out all of my frustrations in my journal and that way it is a way of working through things instead of adding to the mess of life.

So there you have it :) my twentyten resolution.

Ps: people look at you a bit funny when you just take the cup for communion.

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12 hours in..

Blanton is all about being honest in every way. He suggests we need to always say the radical truth, no matter how uncomfortable the situation may become. At this stage, I disagree. Here are some of the 'lies' I told today that I think are perfectly acceptable.

7:30am: mum asks, did you sleep well?I respond, 'yep'.

The FIRST word out of my mouth in the 72hr Radical Honesty Thingy was a lie. Great start.

I decided to try extra hard in the following conversations and managed to cruise through with no surprise lies...until

12:00 noon: brother asks, 'are you hungry? I'm keen for food.'

I respond, 'yeah I'm keen, we should get some of those yummy bread roll things with the seeds on top'

Brother brings home the rolls and says, 'are these the right rolls'

I respond, 'yep that's cool, cheers'

They weren't the rolls I was talking about. In this case...yes, I lied, but no, I didn't care too much for whatever rolls we got...soooooo hmm...

I lie like this throughout the day and am pretty ok with it. What are your thoughts? Should we be radically honest and ditch the social norms whilst we're at it?

I'm liking the challenge because it has made me think and become a lot more conscious of the things I say. I might try to be a little more radical tomorrow. You have to ease into these things..hehe..and I'm not certain this form of honesty is going to help maintain my relationships. I will keep you posted.

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Radical or Reckless?

My friend recently inspired me with a story he told where his integrity was questioned and he was put in a compromising situation that could have been quite damaging to his reputation and employment. My friend was accused of lying (which, in this circumstance was a big deal, not just a fluffy white lie)...as he was sharing this story with me I already knew he was telling the truth, because never in the years I've known him has he ever given me reason to question his honesty. Anyhow, the inspiration came when he told me he was trusted by his work mates who had also experienced his honesty and integrity for as long as they had known him. It got me thinking...would the people who know me have the same trust and faith in my honesty? I would hope so, but in saying that, I wish I could claim that I was honest 100% of the time. I feel like that would be quite a radical way to live..or would it be reckless?

My white lies usually pop out by default. "how are you, is everything going well?" ...."I'm great, yeah everything is good"...blah blah. Aaaaand I am guilty of lying by omission. I will quite regularly just not say what I'm thinking to avoid having to expand on the idea. But, in the long run, if I appear to passively agree to opinions raised in conversations...is my integrity compromised? Likely scenario.

I decided to investigate.

Blanton is a dude who believes Radical Honesty is the key to intimate relationships and a healthier, stress free lifestyle. If you are interested in reading what he has to say, here is a basic low down:

http://m.wikihow.com/Practice-Radical-Honesty

I'm not keen on his 'say everything that comes to mind' theory, basically because I believe our tongues can cause chaos if we aren't careful! However...filtering your thoughts...good plan. I am going to attempt a 72 hour Blanton-athon. I wonder how regularly I will find myself lying incidently or by omission..or even those nasty white lies. I'll keep you posted.

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