My 12 Commandments

In the spirit of self-improvement, which admittedly is a luxury of our American world, an idea has sparked in my wild mind. Lest it naggle and flit around like an irritating fruit fly, I have to see it through. For some time I've been wanting to devise a way for me to be a better wife, friend, and all-alround awesome person. I've changed alot since I first lost that 200 pounds and not all of that has been physical. A huge portion, in fact, has been internal.

I've recently been reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. It's cool. It's basically a right-brained attempt at answering the question of personal happiness, very technical and yet humorous at the same time. Go check it out if you have an interest in such things.

Anywho, back to MY 12 Commandments.

I've wanted to create a way to measure the positive characteristics in my life ever since I heard about Benjamin Franklin's idea of "Moral Perfection." Though this idea is revisited in Rubin's book, I first heard it when I was reguarlarly attending a zendo in Pacific Beach. His program was to focus his attention on one moral "code" each week, and through habit his behaviors and character would improve. LOVE the idea. I have always said that all things we do are the results of habit. His "virtues" are:

TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.

HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

These are awesome and all, but I wanted something a little more Jasmine. Why 12? Well, I'm not religious, which is why I didn't have to stick with 10. Plus, I really couldn't widdle them down to 10. Old Benjamin has 13, which just seems unlucky. So, 12 it is.

Here's mine:

1. Be Nice More, Nag Less.

2. Spend Out.

3. Love as Action.

4. Complain for a Purpose (or Not at All).

5. Listen Closely.

6. Practice Order.

7. Let it Be, Let it Go.

8. Be the Change.

9. Commit Fully.

10. Give Blindly.

11. Thank Life Daily.

12. Be Here Now.

This week (Mon-Sun), I will be focusing on nagging less. This will almost exclusively be practiced within my marriage for obvious reasons. However, the "be nice more" part can be practiced in every situation. Tomorrow, I will post about Day 1 to let you know how it went. I am a major "nagger" so this is going to be rough. Wish me luck.

Housekeeping Stuff. This is still a food blog, but I'm branching out. When you improve one part of your life, all things improve, I think. Let's see how much I can "improve" in the next 12 weeks.

This weekend, I tried the Fiber One Blueberry Muffins for the first time. I was very impressed.

I had some frozen blueberries in the freezer anyway, so I threw maybe 1/2 cup in. Otherwise, I followed the box.

These came out great. Hubby LOVED them.

We ate two before I remembered to take a picture. :p I highly recommend these muffins. Very filling, great taste.

**Survey Time**

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