Word of the year

Christine Kane introduced me to an interesting way to start a new year. She started a ritual called "A word a year". The idea is to pick a word which you will focus on over the course of the coming year. The word is to guide you throughout the year, be a touchstone to remind you to live your life at what she calls the BE level.

She has once again launched the process of picking such a word for next year. And since her email I have been throwing words around in my head. The process of picking one is tough :-)

Here's my first brainstorming list:

• Creativity: I really want and need to be more creative. It is not only fun but releases a lot of stress and centers me. Creativity for me is: painting, photography, writing. The problem is usually finding the Time and staying Focused
• Focus: I lack focus. I seem to be doing a zillions things at once becoming deviated from what I initially started doing, hence I am not finishing anything. This goes with Discipline and Order.
• Effortlessness: goes with Flow. Sometimes everything seems just so complicated and stressed out that it gets blocked. And I am usually the one making it complicated...
• Serenity: I need to be able to find my inner calm and peacefulness in order not to get overwhelmed by stress and be ME, be the best person I can be to my family.
• Presence: as in living in the NOW. Profiting from every single moment as if it were my last. Not thinking about the zillion other things I still need to do before it gets dark. This goes with Be, Awareness, Attention and Listen. I have issues with that. But I do notice that I stop from time to time to breathe, watch a bird fly. When I drove home from work today, lots of brown leaves were falling from the trees as if someone had shaken the tree for me to watch the spectacle of nature. I slowed my car down and just watched. And it was so beautiful, so in that moment, that I had tears in my eyes. When I was running this afternoon, I stopped to catch my breath (I haven't been running for 3 weeks - bad girl) and watched the surrounding hills, the blue sky with the fluffy clouds, breathed in the tepid, leafy autumn air and felt this big feeling of joy rise up in me. Those moments make my day.
• Exercise: I have had two kids in 2 years, am about to turn 39 and my body needs to be treated differently. It needs to be pampered but also serviced like a good old car. And exercise (running, muscle training, pilates...) is what I need. It not only does my body good, it also caters for my spirit and makes me feel good and happy.

As is common for me, many ideas pop out and I lack focus :-)

I think I need to ponder over these a little more.