 Was so into ciggies at 14 I made this sweet artistic border in my journal I thought I’d begin this bad boy blog with a Q and A… with myself. Because I have a short attention span and I’m hoping you do too.
What is the year of kindness? It was a name my friend Miranda came up with while we were at work trying to think of a catchy Instagram handle. It also happens to capture what this year is all about for me. Come again? After a shitty few years, with some fairly obvious behaviour patterns cropping up - I decided it was time to switch things up and see what life changes come about. A kind of life experiment. At that point (New Years Eve) I thought quitting booze and cigarettes would be fun too. Although I hadn’t thought through it that much in my champagne haze, I’m also fairly stubborn - so here we are. So why go the whole hog? And how does quitting booze and cigarettes reeeeallly change anything? Making any fundamental change to your core self as an adult is immensely difficult. That's because we have had a lifetime of learning ways of being, that although may not serve us, feel familiar. Changing thought and behaviour patterns can apparently be best helped by doing two things:
So for me that means cutting out alcohol completely, stopping smoking (20 cigarettes a day to none has been a mind feck let me tell you), and changing up the job sitch. And on the posi front? As part of the experiment, I’m also doing all the stuff science (and pseudo science) tells us increases our happiness. I’m Insta-blogging that stuff along the way too. What have you noticed so far? The biggest thing for me is I’m forced to face my own shit all the time. Without a wine to wind down with at the end of the day, or a cigarette to take me away from my own thoughts - I’m sitting with my feelings all the time. Turns out they don’t kill you. Who knew! Any last thoughts? I’ve hated the internet for the longest time. Especially social media platforms which seem like giant selfie playgrounds for raging narcissists. BUT sharing this stuff has been amazing in terms of a) the accountability it provides me, and b) the number of people who’ve contacted me to say they’re on, or want to be on a similar path. “A positive and optimistic approach to live, however stumbling and faltering - is a powerful force for change” - The Reluctant Buddhist, William Wollard |
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