Mental Post-Its

Thoughts, Notes, and General Mental Mayhem

Category Archives: Live


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My Word for 2016

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RENEW. Sorry, I just couldn’t hold it in! I’ve been bursting to tell you that my word for the year is RENEW!

It came to me almost instantly about a month ago. In the car that morning, I thought it was time to start thinking forward to 2016, and it just popped in my head. And I knew immediately that it was right. (Strangely enough, it was also written on the mug of a co-worker I sat behind in staff meeting just an hour later!)

In coming to the end of last year, I was exhausted . . . mentally. After dealing with chronic illness for three and a half years, I know what physical exhaustion is. But mental exhaustion was settling in fast, and I was kind of panicking. Thinking of this word, though, gave me hope. Shortly after, I met with my mentor, Holly. A mentor is someone everyone needs in their life, and Holly has blessed me immensely. She comforted me, encouraged me, supported me, and then empowered me with some Bible passages she’d just read earlier that same day. It was no chance that we met that morning.

Isaiah 43: 16-21 MSG

“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
    rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
    —the coyotes and the buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
    rivers through the sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
    the people I made especially for myself,
    a people custom-made to praise me.

This is one of the scriptures she read to me that morning, and now it is also my verse for the year. I think it paints a beautiful picture, and one that will bring me comfort this year.

And I’m a little surprised, considering where I was just a few weeks ago, but I’m actually excited this year is starting. There’s just something special and enticing about “new.” And now I feel better prepared as well.

Coming very soon, I’ll tell you all about the personal retreat I took this weekend to RENEW and recharge. It was the first of its kind for me, and I would not have been ready for 2016 without it. It definitely helped get me on the right track. Maybe it can help you too.

For now, though, I’m just going to enjoy my (RE)NEW YEAR.

Do you have a word for the year? If so, I’d love to hear it.

And you can read about last year’s word here.

____________________________________

So, what is all this word for the year business? So glad you asked! I love telling people about it. Basically, a few friends and I started this tradition a number of years ago. It’s a way to look at the year intentionally and proactively in the beginning, rather than only coming to the end of a year and reflecting. We think the latter is more of a reactive stance, and should be more helpful. So, we wanted to set a tone for our year that would help us get where we wanted to go.

This tradition was reinforced again for me a few days ago when I started my Five Minute Journal. It was recommended on a podcast I listened to and sounded really interesting, so I ordered it and started on January 1.

But here’s a snippet from their introduction:

There’s a small part of your brain called the reticular activation system (RAS) that turns on and off your perception of ideas and thoughts, and determines the lenses through which you look at the world. When you take an action like buying a new car, you’ve taken a major step in redefining your possessions and your RAS changes to accommodate your new acquisition. And everywhere you go, your RAS will gently remind you of this change by pointing out others who have the same car as you.

When you write ‘What would make today great?’ (one of the daily questions asked), you’re taking a step to influence your RAS to point out and engage in activities that would make your day better. You’re building new pathways in your brain that allow you to ‘see’ what you can do to improve your well being every day. You’re creating a new program in your mind that naturally leans to improve your happiness. Doing this consistently gives you consistently better days. It’s that simple.

Voila! And you thought I just made this stuff up. 😉

And I discovered as I prepared for 2015 that there are a lot more people who utilize a word for the year. If you’re interested, here are two other great resources to help get you started:

One Word That Will Change Your Life

My One Word

Wishing you a wonderful 2016!

 

(Note: Amazon links are affiliate links.)


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2015 In Photos

Here’s a VERY quick look back at my 2015! There were so many things I didn’t get photos of, or have room for. So regardless of your inclusion here or not, thank you for making last year memorable!

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A Franciscan Benediction For You

A Franciscan Benediction
May God bless us with discomfortIMG_1380
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that we may live from deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of God’s creations
So that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war,
So that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with just enough foolishness
To believe that we can make a difference in the world,
So that we can do what others claim cannot be done:
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and all our neighbors who are poor.
Amen.


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Frame: 2015 in Review

Gosh, here we are. The end of the year. Are they speeding up or is it just me? It was a little over a year ago when I picked my word for 2015: FRAME. And wow, what a year it’s been!

There were two uses for this word when I chose it, both as a noun and a verb. I wanted to use FRAME as a way to get a better picture of what I want my life to look like, and also to help me put margin around things that I wanted to focus on. So how did it hold up?

As with all things in life, most of it is lived in normalcy of the day-to-day, and then there are these other distinct moments that helped to shape it as a whole. I can definitely say that FRAME helped me put it into perspective. And having my verse on the bathroom mirror, Matthew 6:33, where I see it each day, was a good reminder to set my priorities rather than having someone else set them for me.

One of the things I love to do is travel. And I was absolutely able to do more of that this year. I went to Nashville (twice), Chicago, INDIA, Minneapolis, Seattle, Irvine, Indianapolis, New York City and Washington DC! And I’ll finish up this year in Texas. Even though some of those were work trips, I managed to squeeze in some fun and friends. But being able to travel more this year was one of the absolute highlights.

As you can imagine, India was another one, which combined my love of travel with my love of social justice. I went with two friends to visit this beautiful and heartbreaking country where one of my friends has a program that helps girls complete their college education. It was the experience of a lifetime. I am forever grateful to those who donated to this trip so that I could go.

I was also able to do some more freelance writing and consulting, which makes me very happy. Some of the writing was based on my experiences of working as an event marketing director, and a lot of the consulting was in the arena of marketing and communications, but to further assist in social justice causes.

I love to learn, so additionally, I’ve had the privilege to participate in three book launches. One of those was unofficial, because it was a friend’s book, and two were as part of an official launch team. And along the lines of learning, I was able to attend a number of conferences again this year. I love attending conferences! I already have a few booked for next year that I’m looking forward to as well.

And I was very excited to cut down on my debt this year, despite some of the things above. My plan is to be debt-free next year, and I am counting down to that time! It will be a game changer for me.

I also made more progress with my health, which I am so grateful for. It’s been three and a half years of chronic issues. I never could have imagined it would be this kind of journey, but it has become part of a new way of living—at least for now. It’s a very slow process, but I have great help from my naturopaths and the support of my general practitioner, and I look forward chipping away at it again moving forward. I can’t wait to be healthy again!

Of course, not everything went as hoped or planned. I accept that will always be the way it is, but yes, it still stinks. There are many things to work on, and learn, and plan, and do. So, as a head’s up, I can tell you that next year’s words won’t be “nirvana” or “perfection.” But hey, where’s the fun in that?

So, these are the highlights. FRAME made for a good year. I’m sure I missed a number of things as I look back over 350+ days. There were other great causes, celebrations, conversations and connections, as well as seemingly ordinary hours that stacked up to create the last 12 months. There are things I’d trade, do-over and totally do-again. But, in the end, I tried not to waste any of this precious time. And that is the best I can ask of myself.

“Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.” – Margaret J. Wheatley


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My 2015 Reading List

Row of vintage worn booksI discovered some fantastic books this year! And, as you’ll see, they cover quite a few topics. It’s good to have more than one interest, right?

If you’re looking for some suggestions for your very own reading list, take a look at these. And let me know of anything that you recommend for my 2016 list!

Looking for other suggestions? Here are my previous reading lists:

2014

2013

2012

2011

 

(Note: Amazon links are affiliate links.)