18 posts
As I reflected on how I had lived by my word for 2017, I kept thinking that I had really discovered something about myself. It just clicked. Discover would be my word for 2018.
I’m looking forward to discovery in both personal and professional areas of my life. Perhaps I’ll discover a new creative passion. Discover something about myself. Discover how to let go.
All I know is that I can’t wait to see where this path of discovery takes me in 2018.
Looking back the 2017 I feel as if for a time I completely lost track of my word. There was no time for renewal. But then I look at the last 4 months or so and I seen to have gotten back on track.
Returning to the workforce in a full-time capacity was a big step forward in this. It was super scary and many a tear was shed until I realized…this was a new beginning or time of renewal for me. I had a renewed vigor for helping others. A renewed energy I had lost. I was able to renew my sense of purpose outside the home.
Don’t get me wrong…I wouldn’t trade those years at home as a wife, homemaker and mom for the world. But having something that is mine is amazing. I hadn’t thought of it before in that way.
Stay tuned for my 2018 word of the year tomorrow!
I am super excited about my word of the year!
Renew…the word is so simple yet can mean so much. Renew can be to begin again or with increased vigor. Renew can mean to restore and rebuild. Revive, reinvigorate, reaffirm…see where I’m going here.
The New Year always gives us a blank slate…a place to jot down our hopes and dreams, makes goals and see them through. So often we create lofty and/or unattainable goals for ourselves in the name of “resolutions”. I swear the majority of people do this knowing full well that they’ll quit within the month. It’s become a big joke. It is for that exact reason I made the shift to a single word.
So how do I want to honor that word throughout the year…
I want to renew some friendships I have let slide. Renew my effort to create a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for myself and family. Renew my vigor for this wonderful life I’ve been given. Renew myself in mind, body and spirit and when I fail I will renew myself again…not give up. My word of the year is very self centered and self serving this year and I’m not going to apologize for that.
Just a few inspiration thoughts I gathered on Pinterest to go along with my renewal.
At the beginning of each year I chose my word of the year. For 2016 I picked Enjoy. Now that the year is at its end I always like to reflect upon how I did honoring my chosen word.
This is what I wrote:
Enjoy the process of creating and blogging. Enjoy and embrace the fact that I am a stay-at-home mom of teenagers and enjoy the time I have left with them. Enjoy more time with Mr. G since the kids aren’t needing or wanting our undivided attention. Enjoy being driven around by my son. Find a healthy lifestyle we can enjoy. Dig in the dirt for enjoyment of gardening and the nourishment it provides our family. Enjoy friends, good books, wine and walks. Enjoy the little things in life.
I feel as if I hit the mark with this one….my only regret is that I think I enjoyed food and drink a bit too much this year. :)
I can’t wait to share my word for 2017…
It’s a two for one deal here at Halle’s Hobbies… I’m linking up with both Art Journal Journey and T stands for Tuesday today.
Why you say? I decided to embrace my word of the year and enjoy the meeting of two worlds instead of stressing over it. Technically they’ve met. :) This is one of the things about the blogging community that I really enjoy. So much crossover and one blog leads to another and soon you’ve went down the rabbit hole but learned so much along the way.
The Winter wonderland theme this month on AJJ gave me the opportunity to play with a new supply.
It came in a box of paint from a garage sale. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever use it. Since I was using my sturdy board book heART journal, I knew it would hold up to the weight and wetness factor of the paste.
I am certainly glad I kept it. Look at the texture it provides. And the sparkle! The photo capture of the sparkle is nothing compared to the real deal. It really does look like snow glistening in the sunlight on a crisp Winter day.
I used this stencil with a palette knife to create the snowman.
I wish you could feel this page. So much texture on the background and the snow is soft. A really unexpected result for me even with the jars claim.
I hope my T stands for Tuesday friends have enjoyed my latest journal page.
In keeping with the rules spirit of T day, I’m sharing my beverage as well as the healthy breakfast I enjoyed yesterday.
What else does the day have in store?
For starters, the transfer of important dates from one calendar to the next. Sometimes I wonder why I continue to keep a paper calendar since most everything is kept electronically now. But a hard copy is always good. When I rely on technology, that’s when it fails me.
I’m also going to tackle taking down Christmas decor, get in a little exercise and sort paperwork for taxes. I actually started our taxes yesterday. I hate waiting on this. I really like to know where we stand.
What are you doing today?
After reflection on last year and thinking of what is to come…I decided that enjoy would be my best choice of words.
Enjoy the process of creating and blogging. Enjoy and embrace the fact that I am a stay-at-home mom of teenagers and enjoy the time I have left with them. Enjoy more time with Mr. G since the kids aren’t needing or wanting our undivided attention. Enjoy being driven around by my son. Find a healthy lifestyle we can enjoy. Dig in the dirt for enjoyment of gardening and the nourishment it provides our family. Enjoy friends, good books, wine and walks. Enjoy the little things in life.
I think this should be a pretty easy word to keep in mind this year.
You could do it too… ENJOY
As I started thinking ahead towards the new year and all it has yet to bring, I decided it was time for a bit of reflection before letting go of 2015. Briefly my thought was, “Not much happened this year” and then the memories started to filter through.
This year, collectively, our family has had the following…in no particular order:
knee surgery
small kitchen fire
resort vacation
night classes
new driver
honor choir audition
wacky injuries including a 911 call
volleyball camp
computer programing
pneumonia
new (to us) vehicles
job interviews
neighborhood campfires
published article
mother/daughter retreat
choir concerts
deans list
student council
phase 2 braces
and a new teenager(just yesterday)
Whew! That’s quite a list even without the minutia of everyday life and events I’ve likely forgotten or perhaps blocked out. :)
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So how did I do with my word of the year?
Not so great, honestly. I can’t say I entirely failed on my word. I did focus on my family when issues arose throughout the year. I had the intention of focus on myself and what I needed and wanted out of life with this word. But really when I think about it, focus on my family is the reason I am still a stay-at-home mom the majority of the time. I was gifted with a wonderful life and family. One that appreciates the gift it is that I am home most days to take care of the little things. Perhaps my thoughts on my success with focus were a little flawed, My focus was just where it was meant to be last year.
Happy New Year! Be safe.
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