Ok, so I was back for about a minute in 2011 and then lost the thread of this blog again. In my defense, a lot has happened offline in the last few years. When I came back to the blog it was poignant to see the last entry was about my parents 50th wedding anniversary. In the two years since their anniversary I got divorced, moved to Denton, Dad got cancer, and sadly died almost exactly one year after his diagnosis. Any one of those could bring a person to a place of introspection - all of them together have taken me through many emotions and moments of deep reflection.
In this spirit of reflection I've undertaken my first ever new year's resolution. I've never made resolutions, not that I didn't believe in them, just never found one that really caught my attention. Mostly I've always hated unfinished projects, and resolutions just seemed like unfinished projects in the making. But I do love me some reflection, and have always wanted to find an inspiring resolution that would challenge me. I've long admired my friend David for setting a theme for himself each year. When I read the Happiness Project books I liked how she detailed her intentions in monthly challenges to herself.
Over the holidays I thought about intentions, inspirations and motivational words that I'd like to surround myself with. I've always loved quotes, poems, and, inspirational writings and thought it would be fun to have little notes tucked around my apartment that could remind me of what I feel is important in life. The first one that came to mind was "Use it Up" - which I wrote on a slip of paper and put on the inside of the cabinet door. After seeing it every morning for a week I realized it was the perfect resolution / theme for the year.
I took the month of January to really think things through and figure out my monthly challenges. The more I thought about it the more I felt excited about the possibilities, and the more this theme really settled in. I'm so glad to truly get started now in February with the first monthly challenge. It's "Frugal February" - yay for the shortest month of the year :) where I will be spending money only on gas and groceries (well, other necessities such as toilet paper and rent too).
3 comments:
Beautiful! I love your theme, and your "practice" for February (been kind of practicing that for a while, more my be circumstance than choice!). Can't wait to hear about how things go...
Thanks Jackson, I'm having fun with it - and with writing about it too! Happy Birthday!
"Use It Up" is a great theme. So much rolled up into it - having to put your desires, wants, impulses in check. Takes a lot of awareness. Been doing a crappy job on themes. Or at least coming up with a "category". But this year suggests there is something on the horizon.
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