Friday, January 4, 2013

Choosing my Word

Toasting the new year from our desert casita



i thought i had it a month ago.... i even had this nice clean progression:

2010: justbe – it was the transition from the hectic work life to a different, slower way of being and seeing myself

2011: imagine – i needed to do some active brain-storming to look at lots of possibilities for the future

2012: venture – the idea was to turn some of those ideas into reality – to step up and act on the ideas i had generated

2013: focus – all that venturing moved me forward in lots of different directions... my idea was to reign it in a little and focus on what’s most important

Pondering the future at Saguaro National Park

 perfect, right?  well, i’m not known for my decisiveness and this was no exception.  focus fit in some ways but didn’t have the feeling i was looking for.  many other words presented themselves to me, each with compelling reasons to choose them.  but if you have too many words, well, then you lose focus, right?  ha ha, back to that. 

The saguaros seem to have big open arms

the other word that has stayed with me is intention.  i really like the idea of setting intentions before i do things and i haven’t really practiced this, though i have heard from many sources of how powerful that can be.  as i get older, i don’t want to spin my wheels or waste time on stuff that’s basically meaningless.  i want to act intentionally as much as possible.  to live on purpose.

Thought this was a good sign for the new year!!

 the other thing i like about this word is that it really is closely related to focus so i can tie that in as well.  in other words, my intention is to focus on........ more on this next time.  for now, i’m happy that i have a new word for the new year and knowing now after the last 3 years what an impact it can have, i’m excited to see where it will take me! 

Last new year, there was a heart wind chime where we stayed, this year a bear... (??)

 i’ve already written about the results of my venturing here and here.  i loved the name of this shop in tucson and thought i would use it to remind me that justbe, imagine and venture are not going away…. they are part of me now and here to stay!  

i hope it is a magical and meaningful year for you also (hoping to catch up soon!!)


6 comments:

  1. "i want to act intentionally as much as possible. to live on purpose." this is such a great reminder Patty...when I do remember to put out my intentions things always seem to work out well. I think when you get to a certain age (varies for everyone) living a purpose driven & meaningful life becomes super important...putting out intentions really helps with that! Great word!

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  2. I think you have chosen wisely! Happy New Year, new word to you!!!

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  3. I like your word - I think it suits you a lot. You always seem to ponder your words very carefully and thoroughly - so this is it, and it's good.
    I hope you will show us more images of your trip to Arizona - I am still so jealous! I love winter in Arizona - or the entire southwest, for that matter.

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  4. Great word, Patty. Looks like a wonderful trip as well. I'm still grappling with my word for whatever reason - reveal or uncover. Two very different words when I think about them. Happy you are home safe and sound. Looking forward to more photographs of your trip. hugs, Donna

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  5. You have chosen a very good word. There are so many times that I hear myself reminding my students to keep the focus to their schoolwork, but when it comes to myself... I usually try to do too many things at the same time.

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  6. Oh too funny! Guess what my word of the year is? Focus! Hope your year is intentionally fabulous, Patty! :)

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