January is always a time of tremendous relief for me -- the holidays over and a clean slate ahead. And this year we had the super-auspicious coincidence that January 1st fell on a Monday! A dieter's good omen! (I'll start it on Monday...I'll start it on the 1st of the month...)
To kick off the January 1st "New Start", Hub and I went to a New Year's Eve gathering with friends where we facilitated a sharing circle to talk about what we are letting go of and what intentions we are setting for 2018. We also ate, drank, had an 'oldies' sing-along, and shot off fireworks. Got home at 1 a.m. and stayed up talking with Hub until 2. I do believe it's been years since I was up, on purpose, that late! So 2018 was already shaping up to be different.
My intentions are:
To be a badass Resistance Fighter and to act from a place of compassion and fierce optimism
To prioritize health and vitality
To practice gratitude with daily reflection
To prioritize writing projects
To be more vocal and activist about ageism
I wrote all those down, attached them to a lantern and set it free into the full-mooned, cold, clear, sky carrying my intentions on the gentle midnight breeze.
And, so far, so good....
I've gone a bit quiet on the political front, as I reflect and become more discerning on where my energy needs to go -- into thoughtful action and not constant, frantic reaction to the chaotic craziness that emanates from the current president's mind and mouth. It continues to be outrageous and terrifying but I'm not so triggered every time. I find a quiet assurance emerging that this is a temporary situation. 2018 is a Mid-Term year. That's where my energy is going to go; to work to throw the enabling, party-before-country, sucking-at-the-corporate-teat, self-serving Republicans out on their butts. (OK, maybe I'm still a little pissed.)
My Gratitude Journal holds the mundane and sublime record of daily thanks for the abundance of joy and challenge in my life and what I can learn from that.
I've pretty much eschewed mindless sugar consumption, kicked up my treadmill walks, and have lost 1.5 pounds.
I'm forging ahead with a writing project that I plan to turn into a book for my family.
And I'm toying with the idea of either starting a new blog about growing older/ageism or making discussions of ageism a larger part of this blog. So, stay tuned on that.
I feel on the cusp of changes for Hub and me this year too...sort of undefined yet, but a subtle shifting of attention, priorities; living with more intention and making deeper connections to each other and those we love. Also, we will be doing a lot of traveling this year -- a completely new focus for me, who typically spouts the "I hate to travel" mantra. I'm actually excited about our trips...but I'm not packing yet, so there's still time for the night-before-leaving panic and regret about "making these stupid plans and can't we just stay home?!?" So, stay tuned on that too.All in all, today finds me optimistic....fiercely optimistic....about 2018. And that's a brand new place for me to be. Go figure.
At least, that's the view from here...©
You are so focused and organized with your goals and projects. I'm jealous.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen one of the lanterns up close and I've always wanted to know what keeps them from lighting a tree or something else on fire when they lands. They do have a candle in them, don't they?
I love having a Personal Growth focus for the year. It helps me stay on track with who I want to be....sometimes more successfully than others. Typically I boil it all down to one statement, so my "list" this year is different. I'll see how it goes.
DeleteI have mixed feelings about the lanterns. I've only done this one other time. They are so beautiful taking flight and when part of a ritual like we did they are a bit awe-inspiring too. The entire lantern is "biodegradable" -- a thin papery substance on a super thin metal frame (that part is not so biodegradable, methinks...) There is a square of cardboard that must contain some inflammable "fuel" of some kind, because you light that and when the flame heats the air inside the lantern, it takes flight. It goes until the flame burns out, then floats to the ground and they say fairly quickly biodegrades. We did it in a large rural open area. One of our friends at the party said they found one of the lanterns on the roadside as they were leaving, so that one didn't travel far. I would NOT set them afloat in the city or near trees and power lines, etc. They are "out" before they hit the ground, but I'd still worry about them hitting something when still afloat. I'm sure some would strenuously object to this "litter" and like I say I'm a bit ambivalent about them, but we are as cautious as we can be. Plus it is so wet here in the winter that it didn't feel like a fire hazard. Summer might be a different story and I'd not do it then.
To clarity about the frame -- it's just around the bottom; the rest is just a big "balloon".
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