I was listening to Creative Mom Podcast today as we were bumping our way down a dusty dirt road between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz, Mexico. Amy mentions a tradition she has borrowed from someone. The tradition of finding a word for the year.
I started to reflect upon a potential word for me for this 2008. But what actually bounced it's way into my thoughts was an old dusty friend. The elusive vision of Myself - Living My Highest Life. A picture that lives in my soul and dances in my subconscious. Sometimes I can see it's existence as a fuzzy haze in the periphery.
Mostly, though, this vision remains hidden. It resides under the bills on the desk, the voice messages on the phone, the running of a business, and the dishes in the sink. During the particularly challenging times, the vision is buried for so long that I have forgotten it's existence. Fortunately for me, the soul of this life remains strong even when I do not. I thus endure all the worldly trials of life. Eventually the dust settles and a colorful haze returns to the corner.
When I try to focus on how it looks and feels, it fades quickly. But if I relax - I'll catch the colors and textures. I am at times even able to extract a few important words. Words that can give a flavor of my illusion but fall short of a description. Words like:
Pottery Wheels, A knitting basket by a comfy chair, Books of all sorts, Stimulating conversation, A home filled with and made of our crafts and creations, A dinner with conversation in Spanish, A day of painting, An evening of listening to someone read a book, A season of travel, Walls of Photography, Music, Homemade bread and homegrown chickens, The pursuit of projects.
And so, this year is a pursuit of this vision. I will intentionally draw out and nurture these elements of that SELF that comes into focus just long enough for me to pluck out an idea and dance with it.
And so - my word for the year is
CREATE.
I will create:
- My Home
- A Novel (NANOWRIMO)
- The Life of My Soul. Project by Project. Day by Day
Do you have a word for the year?
Do you have somethig you would like to create this year?
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Comments: 4
You're a very skilled writer, I enjoyed this article.. it's inspiring.
I'd like to publish three more books this year, but I think it'll only be two.
You obviously have the spirit. I might say you feel the walk; now you just need to walk the walk. As one who is good at telling others what they should do, as well as one not shy about employing a little cliche, I'll say you only need to put one foot in front of the other, one foot at a time. It's the steady pace that will get you there. At least that's what they say. I always seem to get lost along the way.
Word for me: GPS