Today is Thursday.  Sunday I was drunk.  I polished off two packs of cigarettes.  Monday I woke up and couldn't take it any more.  I had half a pack of cigarettes left.  I quickly found a set of easy yoga poses (suriya namaskar - sun greetings) and realized I could no longer touch my toes.  I barely got through one round of the suriya namaskar.  I ate breakfast (which I've been pretty good about doing lately - and eating a good fiber filled cereal with berries), grabbed a shower and got into the car.  Completely forgot my cigarettes.

I spent Monday in a complete haze.  I don't really remember much.  Monday night, I smoked three cigarettes and got stoned off of each one.  I cleaned the house because I  had so much energy and got through two suriya namaskars.

I repeated my efforts on Tuesday.  Five cigarettes that night, but more repetitions on the yoga.  Wednesday, the same - more repetitions, and I started walking two miles every day at work.

Today is Thursday.  I already said that.  I was able to walk two miles today.  I completed seven suriya namaskars.  I did ten push ups and twenty sit ups.  Last week, I did three of each and got winded.  I'm kinda happy.  And absolutely worn out.  NIGHT!!  ;)

I love having my own domain at www.taureandesigns.com: it gives me the freedom to do a bunch of things I never would have dreamed of, otherwise.  Swing by and check it out, if you like!

I'm going to use this space to work out a plan for a manuscript.

1. Introduction
   
2. Take care of yourself.
• Eat well.
• Eat whole foods.
• Avoid preservatives.
• Avoid additives.
• Enjoy quality.
• Avoid quantity.
  
• Move.
• Stagnation.
• Circulation.
  
• Be kind.
• Speak kind words.
• Practice kind acts.
• Praise.
• Love.
• Admire.
• Be the designated driver.
• Understand* others' differences.
• Be thoughtful.
• Consider your actions.
• Temper your responses.
• Meditate.
  
• Understand* others' opinions.
3. Take care of your world.
• Space is limited.
• Be tidy with your piece of earth. Encourage the same in others.
• All things require space.
• Add only necessary things to the horizon.
• Take only as much as needed.
• Others may need more than you.
• Remember the three “R”s:
• Replace what you can.
  
• Repent what you can't.
• Recycle or reuse the rest.
  
4. Take care of your friends.
• Love unconditionally.
• Educate by example.
• Learn by observation.
  
• Make new friends at every chance.

Introduction:

No, I'm no guru.  I'm not really even a fan of diet crazes or self help.

A prologue on Understanding:

I've never been one to blindly accept another's views as concrete evidence of their validity.  This is possibly due to the fact that my mother never stopped playing the "Why?" game with me.  You know this game, even if you call it something different.  This is the back-and-forth young children have with their parents when their parents try to explain ideas and the child's constant response is "Why?".  I was never lead to believe that questioning was a bad thing.

I was also never lead to believe that just because someone can convincingly argue a point that the point is correct.  I was raised to believe that one should always uphold another's beliefs and make every attempt to understand them.  Understanding beliefs and accepting them should never be confused.  The most extreme example of understanding versus accepting of which I can think is:

I understand the root thinking behind martyrdom.  I can understand the feeling that things are so bleak and scary that one feels the need to direct their anger at others.  I can understand feeling that no one listens.  I cannot, however, accept that taking your own life, as well as others, will lead to a positive end.  I cannot accept that life is so devoid of compassion that this practice has become acceptible to some.  I cannot accept that sitting and talking out differences does not lead to a bettering of the situation.