One Little Word

Sorry about the big face photo, not sure how to make it smaller, ugh. My word for 2011 is :

Thought really long and hard about this one. I was kicking around 2 at one point: calm and do. But I was afraid that calm would be like permission to be let off the hook at every turn. (Example: I need to be calm, I should calm down on the couch and not do whatever it is I should really do.) That lead me to examine do. Which is still a good word, but I can be a bit hard on myself and I was afraid that do was permission to whip myself into shape every chance I got, and truthfully, I have to practice being kind to myself because on the occasional occasion I am a bit too hard on me. Polar opposites I know, which is why I was stuck.

Then I thought about resolve. And I liked it. It's the perfect combination of calm and do. It gives me a calm because there is decision in it, the indecision is what gives me stress. But I also like that it's bold, it's earnest, it's a fist on the table when needed to get up and get something done. There is intention, and a willingness to solve problems. And I love that design is a synonym for resolve, that's just cool. :)

I Resolve to:

Take more photos, I got a new camera for Christmas and I am just excited about it.

Scrapbook more. This has been hard since I went back to work. But I'm starting to get the hang of everything now so things will get better.

Spend time outside in my garden with J. I resolve not to put the mulch down myself this year, way too much hulling of dirt around, it was hard to do, took me almost a month on the weekends. I'll stick with weeding, watering and planting. :)

Donate the stuff I've purged to a good cause. I found one last night online, will have things picked up 3/7/2011. This includes household goods.

To not take minimalism to extremes. I suppose I could get by with 100 things, but the truth is in an empty room I would be unhappy and it wouldn't make me want to play with my child, or create things or read anymore then I already want to. I'm all for reducing distractions and clutter, but for keeping the heart of the room, the home, the family. We will keep what is necessary, what is wanted, needed and loved. Our home still needs to feel like us.

Keep my priorities toward the top of the list. And peace and kindness. No matter what life throws at me, getting through it peacefully and with gentleness of spirit is all the is required of me.

Be in the moment. Not just this moment or the next one I designate, but every moment.

Accept what I can not change. This is a big one. In fact, this might take me all year to get this one down alone. Recent health issues have caused to rethink everything I know and believe and truthfully, denial sounds pretty good right now. Also possibly facing another military deployment with dh this year. Perhaps my word should have been denial? I think I'll be walking more in my faith to accomplish this.

Happy Thursday to you! Until tomorrow.