I had heard snippets here and there on the web about the idea of having a word for the year rather than focusing on New Years Resolutions. This idea appealed to me in a couple of ways:
1. Rather than thinking of things to give up or to cut down on or to change, I am actively working towards something...positive action rather than negative. That has got to be a good thing.
2. How difficult is it to remember the long list of things to change, stop and do - it is SO much easier to just hold one word in my mind and apply that to every situation
I think initially it was @skinblisterblog on Instagram that posted a photo of her word, create, that really got me to thinking about what mine should be. and I did think long and hard about it. I've had a feeling bubbling away inside me for a while that things needed to change. But, when I really got to the bones of the matter, it wasn't that things had to change but more that they needed to be honed, improved and cultivated.
For example, we have a lovely home but it doesn't totally reflect the three people living in it - but that didn't mean we had to change our house or move house, we simply have to work with what we've got and improve it so that it better reflects the three different personalities sharing it. We are currently doing just this and it feels good!
The same with me and my creating - I've a terrible habit of feeling that I should be making or doing what other people are already doing and, thus, feeling wholly unsatisfied with what I'm doing. I have, again, thought long and hard about this and actually, I just need to go the way I'm going but with a little lift...a little honing of my talents; practising my art - really working at it to make it the best it can possibly be; developing my digital editing skills...spending time on the editing programmes working on projects so that I become better at it, as well as the skills becoming more ingrained in me (rather than as it is at the moment where every time I go back to using it, I almost have to re-teach myself how to use it); enrolling on courses to learn new techniques to add to my arty arsenal; getting organised with the boring side of it - sourcing suppliers and keeping a note of them! getting packaging organised etc thus leaving more time to do the fun side of it.
There are so many other examples I could give but I'm sure you see how the way my thinking and the way I viewed what needs to happen has changed.
Via IG again (it truly is a wonderful community of helpful, caring souls happy to share advice and tools) I saw somebody about to embark on working through a booklet entitled Unravelling the Year Ahead 2013. What is this, I thought to myself as I do love a good workbook and a bit of soul-searching and inward reflection. A quick Google and I found myself on Susannah Conway's wonderful website (she is also on IG @susannahconway) and there was a free download for this booklet - a great tool for working through the previous year and then digging deep to find out what you really need from 2013. And there again was this 'word' concept. I had my word ready for I'd already come to it via the thinking and reflecting I'd been doing since early December.
My word for 2013 is cultivate.
I love this word! It is exciting and encouraging and best of all, I don't need to get rid of anything or replace anything, I can use what I already have in my life...this is the perfect word for me for this year. I want to cultivate the life I have (for I am a lucky soul and live a happy life) and improve on some aspects of it, nurture others; to grow and improve with the end result being fulfillment. A positive word indeed!
This word has lead me to a book called Be Your Own Life Coach by Fiona Harrold (thanks to Leanne for the IG tip) which is helping me to cultivate the best possible parts of me to be the best possible version of me...the best mum, daughter, friend, partner and artist - the best possible Sarah. I know it won't all happen overnight and it's going to take work nevertheless, this is the type of work I enjoy and especially as I know it can only lead to good things and positive outcomes!
Here's to cultivating a brighter and happier future!
Have you got a word for the year? If so, how did you choose it?
Sarah
x
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