My One Little Word for 2015 + January Goals
We're a week into the new year and I think I'm ready to announce my one little word for 2015. There has been time to think lately [praise God!], so I've been listing up my reflections and goals and generally thinking about what matters the most. Around the first day of the year I was pretty sure my word would have something to do with being certain, since I've been saying "I don't know" so much lately. But I'm afraid it would be healthier to approach life with an open-minded "I'm still learning" attitude than to hope for an assured, got-it-all-figured-out perspective [which I would love, mind you]. I'm realizing the freedom in not knowing and trying to release the tight grasp that shouts -- figure it out! solve the problem! give me the answer! Things wash out. People adjust. Bad things turn around. Kids learn. So CONTROL won't be my word of the year. Nope.
Rather -- my word deals with something I've been avoiding about myself. #confession Well, maybe avoiding isn't the right word? Something like its-who-I-am-so-oh-well? Resignation? OK >> out with it. I'm kind-of a pessimist.
It was evident last weekend as I moped around -- "the weather is lowsy, I'm worried about the first day of school, why can't we figure things out, I just want a bit of quiet, I'm such a worrier, will we make this day count or won't we"....on and on. I stopped to listen to myself. Then -- I conducted an experiment. I adopted a new tone of voice [albeit a silly, high-pitched one] and started responding to all comments positively, with "how fortunate we are" and "even this bad thing brings rewards". I paid complements, splattered out I love yous, and seemed altogether cheeeeeesed-out. My husband said I sounded fruit loops but that he liked it. He could handle a bit more optimism out of me.
I think we all could. So I've decided to fake it till I make it. We'll have swiss cheese and harvarti cheese and feta cheese and squeaky cheese and don't forget the easy cheese. #pretenditssillystring
Do some of you know what I mean? When you've lived as a pessimist [think Eeyore] for so long, it can sound really ridiculous to talk cheerfully. It's like....so...out of character. That's what I mean by cheese. And fake it till you make it. I'm not going to be tooooo weird about it, but I really want to give it a fair shake. Because the words I say and the way I say them affect the people around me. Especially my kiddos. And I want them to turn out more like Tigger [with a little more self-awareness and empathy] or Winnie the Pooh [with a little more brain and less sweet tooth] than Eeyore [even though he's adorable and I completely understand where he's coming from].
Wow. And all that was just the intro....
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[drum roll]
My word for 2015 is OPTIMISM.
Because I need it, they need it, the world needs it. I can be happy and cheerful and stuff, especially when things are going well. But this is about when little things start to get me down and I start saying things like "I'm so depressed about..." or "why does this never..." That's when my word of the year is going to speak. And it might sound corny at first.
Optimism is like seeing the white space while tree skiing [such a terrific analogy, right? stole it from dig this chick!] Yes, there are trees, but we're not focusing on them. We're focusing on the possibilities, the strengths, the hidden value, the underlying joy, the grace. The trees can stay in my peripheral vision, flying by, definitely there, but making a way for me.
Cowabunga. It's gonna be a good year. #highfive
-----
January Goals:
{last month's goals -- whatever we didn't complete we erased off the list anyway #cleanslate}
For the blog...
+ a post about kids and faith #onmyheart
+ a short daily life film #learningvideo
+massaman curry recipe
+ book review #interrupted
For our family...
+ cross country ski adventures
+make family chores a habit
+go to the jump park with friends
+ try stop motion animation
For me personally...
+ figure out what kind of house projects we want to do
+ find some taking-video and editing-video inspiration
+search for new favorite tunes
+ read Mere Christianity
Rather -- my word deals with something I've been avoiding about myself. #confession Well, maybe avoiding isn't the right word? Something like its-who-I-am-so-oh-well? Resignation? OK >> out with it. I'm kind-of a pessimist.
It was evident last weekend as I moped around -- "the weather is lowsy, I'm worried about the first day of school, why can't we figure things out, I just want a bit of quiet, I'm such a worrier, will we make this day count or won't we"....on and on. I stopped to listen to myself. Then -- I conducted an experiment. I adopted a new tone of voice [albeit a silly, high-pitched one] and started responding to all comments positively, with "how fortunate we are" and "even this bad thing brings rewards". I paid complements, splattered out I love yous, and seemed altogether cheeeeeesed-out. My husband said I sounded fruit loops but that he liked it. He could handle a bit more optimism out of me.
I think we all could. So I've decided to fake it till I make it. We'll have swiss cheese and harvarti cheese and feta cheese and squeaky cheese and don't forget the easy cheese. #pretenditssillystring
Do some of you know what I mean? When you've lived as a pessimist [think Eeyore] for so long, it can sound really ridiculous to talk cheerfully. It's like....so...out of character. That's what I mean by cheese. And fake it till you make it. I'm not going to be tooooo weird about it, but I really want to give it a fair shake. Because the words I say and the way I say them affect the people around me. Especially my kiddos. And I want them to turn out more like Tigger [with a little more self-awareness and empathy] or Winnie the Pooh [with a little more brain and less sweet tooth] than Eeyore [even though he's adorable and I completely understand where he's coming from].
Wow. And all that was just the intro....
-------
[drum roll]
My word for 2015 is OPTIMISM.
Because I need it, they need it, the world needs it. I can be happy and cheerful and stuff, especially when things are going well. But this is about when little things start to get me down and I start saying things like "I'm so depressed about..." or "why does this never..." That's when my word of the year is going to speak. And it might sound corny at first.
Optimism is like seeing the white space while tree skiing [such a terrific analogy, right? stole it from dig this chick!] Yes, there are trees, but we're not focusing on them. We're focusing on the possibilities, the strengths, the hidden value, the underlying joy, the grace. The trees can stay in my peripheral vision, flying by, definitely there, but making a way for me.
Cowabunga. It's gonna be a good year. #highfive
-----
January Goals:
{last month's goals -- whatever we didn't complete we erased off the list anyway #cleanslate}
For the blog...
+ a post about kids and faith #onmyheart
+ a short daily life film #learningvideo
+
+ book review #interrupted
For our family...
+ cross country ski adventures
+
+
+ try stop motion animation
For me personally...
+ figure out what kind of house projects we want to do
+ find some taking-video and editing-video inspiration
+
+ read Mere Christianity