Day 24

24 days down, 341 to go

I don't think at the end of this experiment I will be terribly anxious to turn the TV back on, but who knows what the next 341 days will bring.

Tonight driving home from across town there was this incredible piece of sunset. It was as if there was a small amphitheater hollowed out from the stormy sky into the clouds. That was the only place the sun could break through as it set down on the horizon and it radiated this cathedral-like rose colored glow onto the cloud amphitheater. It was so perfect and otherworldly that it made me feel as if I would hear angels if I dared to roll down the window. Thank you God for the incredible gifts you give to us so freely,  if we only care to pay attention to your handiwork.

Ok, I know it's nothing to do with TV, unless you consider it heaven's regularly scheduled commercial break. So sue me for being random!

prune

I just finished my first book selection from my trip to McKay's yesterday. I spent the last hour and a half reading the last of it and now my entire body is a giant prune. Yikes! I had to finish it though. It was one of those books that is uncomfortable to read, because it is a little too neurotic and a little too real. And I think for me a little too close to home. It was called "Welcome to My Planet", about a woman who slips into a depression, becomes addicted to tv, keeps looking to a boyfriend or husband to make her life complete and happy, doesn't know what she wants to do with her life, always feels like she is missing "something" in her life, etc... All I can say is I've got the t-shirts for all those destinations and none of them were fun. So I had an urgency to finish the book and see how she turns out. And thank goodness it turned out well. (I get way to involved in the emotions of the story sometimes, can you tell?) She , like me, begins to learn about being present in her life and making choices that take her to a better destination. Which is what my whole focus is with this blog. Hopefully, I am accomplishing it in a slightly less painful and neurotic way than she, but the most important thing is that I am accomplishing it. One choice at a time!

Day thirteen

Thirteen days into the experiment:

I have a little rash on my arm and my friend Sharon at work says it must be from  TV withdrawls...she says I'm having the DTV's. I on the other hand, think it's going really well. I've done a lot more dancing in the last two weeks, spent more time with friends, exercised more, (2 miles on the elliptical tonight) done more writing, more experimenting with raw food dishes (ask me  about the pumpkin seed pate some time) and have actually lost 5 pounds! As experiments go, I'd say this one has been all good so far. I'm excited about what is to come. Oh, and that's the other thing. I'm feeling very upbeat and dare I say it- optimistic. Not that I'm normally a pessimist, but more of a pragmatist. Maybe I'm focusing more on the possibilities instead of the obstacles. Whatever it is, I like it. So onward and upward! What things would you like to see shifting in your life? What are you willing to do to help them move? Something to think about. See you tomorrow.

making time

Day Ten

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time you must make it." Charles Buxton

When I told a friend about this journey and it's purpose (to make more time for important things in my life) they told me I would end up filling the time all too easily with trivial things. I can see how that could happen and it concerned me somewhat. So I began examining my purpose a little more deeply. I don't expect that just because I cut out TV time, I'll be able to "save the world" and that is not my purpose. My purpose is to have a more positive influence on and in my portion of the world and the circle of people that I touch. I like to say that if I have laughed, loved, connected, danced, learned, grown or helped someone in any given day, then it was a good day. By conciously making time for these things, by making them a priority, I am making my world better in tiny little ways every day. Right now, for me I think that is enough.

in front of the tv

Day Eight:

I did not watch any TV today, but I did spend a good bit of time in front of it-playing Wii. And I had a blast. I've not laughed so hard in a long time! I spent time with good people, we prepared a meal together and shared it, we laughed and got our blood moving. Then I drove home safely on snow covered streets and spent a few minutes outside before coming in the house just soaking up the beauty of the snowfall at night. Reminds me of Montana. I had a good day. No, I had a very good day. In fact, life itself is just good right now. And I am so very grateful for every moment.

educational tv

All television is educational television. The question is: what is it teaching? ~Nicholas Johnson

Was it teaching me about the things I truly value such as beauty, friendship, love, kindness, joy, sacrifice, sincerity, honesty, and family. Or was it teaching me about violence, hatred, murder, deception, shallowness, greed, evil and the ugly side of life.

What I feed my mind is what I become. Am I feeding it from a bounty of good things? Or I'm I scrounging through the garbage pail for scraps? If "garbage in, garbage out" is true then "good stuff in, good stuff out" should be equally as true. I guess all of you can let me know at the end of the year if there is more good stuff to me than garbage compared to last year.

Day Four

Day Four: Well, this could be a record for me. Today is January 5th and I've already gone through my file cabinet and cleaned out the previous year, made files for the new year, and have all the receipts and such put aside for doing my taxes. Quite remarkable. Now I am heading to the kitchen to cut up veggies for lunches. Then I will still have time for a nice hot bath and a little yoga before bed.  I am feeling really good about the changes happening so far. And I can honestly say I have not missed the tube yet. I did have a little pang last night when I heard the kids were watching Desperate Housewives...but then I realized how depressing the housewives and a lot of the other shows I used to watch could be. I loved CSI, House, Bones and all the crime shows. So much death and dismemberment surely is not good to fill your head with before you go to sleep, right?!

Day One

Day One: I'd asked my son to take away the TiVo while I was at work so I wouldn't have to be witness to the carnage. But of course he did not. So I was forced to witness the pulling of the plug. How very sad! And now there is a big empty hole where the TiVo used to sit. Both literally and figuratively.

I was communicating with and old friend from high school who has recently done her own plug pulling and it reminded me that in my childhood, tv was not a focal point. I watched cartoons on Saturday morning because that was the only time they were on. We had only 3 channels. (oh the horror) And I rarely watched tv at night, perhaps a couple of shows per week. My play time was mainly spent outside riding my bike around the neighborhood, roller skating (on metal wheels), jump roping, playing jacks, and just plain old using my imagination! In summertime we were outside sun up to sun down for the most part. And if we were inside we read books or played games. 

How did I go from that, to being so very addicted to the technology? I guess it doesn't really matter how I got here, just that I'm getting out. Maybe I can even recapture a little of that childhood imagination in the process! It's a bit dusty, but I think it still works.

16 Hours Left

There are 16 short hours left until I pull the plug. I am spending the morning, watching a little TV (of course) decompressing from a fairly stressful week. I will need to find some new ways to decompress in the coming weeks and months. Let's see...bubble baths are always a winner. I think Qi Gong and Yoga will be my next line of defense. These are both things I've neglected over the last year that I think will make a big difference for me.

On a different note, preparing for the new year is of course about adjusting ourselves for the future, but also about reflecting on the year we've just completed. 2009 has been a good year for me. At the beginning of the year I made a vision board- a tool to focus my intentions and goals. 

On it was a picture of wonderful healthy foods-I wanted to improve my eating habits. This year I did the Raw Food plan for 2 months. 2 months eating mainly fruits, veggies and nuts. Yay for me! This year, I've decided to do about 2/3's raw. I think it's a balanced and doable. And with my tv-free hours I will have time to try those new raw recipes I've wanted to learn.

Also, I had listed travel. This year I got to travel home to California to see my family. And I went to Monterey and San Francisco. I got some great shots in the city and at the beach.  Then later that summer, I went to the gulf coast to camp at the beach. That was an incredible trip. Probably one of the best vacations I've ever had! And then in the fall, I took the kids and grand babies to Disney World. What fun!

There were lots of other things on the vision board. Some I made progress on and some I didn't. But overall when I look back on the year, I feel a sense of overwhelming gratitude for the life I live and the friends and family with which I am blessed. And I have such a sense of hope and excitement for 2010. Now to work on my vision board for this year. Hmmmm....i hope I can find a big enough board!

Purpose

The main purpose for this blog is to force me to write. And to write everyday. And secondly, to help me develop my voice and what I want to say. Giving up the boob tube is mainly about developing myself. At the end of 2010 I want to be more than I am at this moment. A better writer, a better photographer, but also a better person. I want to be a better friend, a better sister and mother. This is a scary place for me. Anyone who knows me will tell you I am an extremely private person. I don't open up to many people. Maybe I figure the less of myself I put out there, the less they have to judge. But it also makes it very hard to connect. I often feel disconnected and distant from people and the world around me. So back to the theory of doing something different to get different results. This is radically different for me! Hanging myself out here for all to see. Even if no one reads these words. At least I've opened the door and made myself available. So here I am!

Countdown

Commencing countdown to 1945. As closely as I can tell, that was just before TV became commercially broadcast in the US. As the hour draws close to pull the plug (cue ominous music) I am realizing more and more just how addicted I am to the thing! I found myself thinking about how I was going to miss House or other characters as if they were real people in my life and not actors in a show. Maybe I've substituted their presence for the company of real live humans in my days. They can be easier to deal with and their drama doesn't affect me, so that has always been a plus in my book. I've always hated drama and done all I could to avoid it, including (i think) becoming a little distant and disconnected from those around me.

Real live humans are messy. But that's life. Messy, dirty and hard at times, but wonderful nonetheless. Here's to being more in the mess and more in the moment, and more connected in real life...drama and all!

Why

So, what will this blog be about? Well, as you can guess I've decided to pull the plug on television for a year. Why? What made me decide to do such a strange thing? It started with getting ready for the New Year and making a "goals plan". Not a list of resolutions. That has never worked for me in the past. But a plan. Some goals for the new year and a strategy on just how to arrive at these goals. After sitting down and working on the plan, I realized how many things I really want to accomplish this year. Some I've been trying to accomplish for decades (like getting into shape) and some are new dreams. But there are ALOT of them. And I realized before I even started that there were not enough hours in the day to do all I wanted to do. At first, I felt defeated. Then my mind went to work figuring ways to squeeze more time out of my days. I already knew getting up an extra hour early (like I've promised myself in the past) wouldn't work for me. I am NOT a morning person. Some say it's dangerous to talk to me before my morning coffee, but I think they're a bit harsh. So a.m. workouts and the like are out. Then it hit me, like a brick dropping on my head. (heavy, obvious and somewhat painful) What about all those hours I spend watching TV? What exactly could I manage to accomplish if those hours were free? And that's what I intend to find out through this experiment. What will my life be like in a year if I give up the TV adddiction? They say the definition of insanity is to continue doing the same thing and yet expect different results. So maybe this is my journey to sanity. Doing something completely different and hopefully not just expecting, but getting new results!