Monday, January 2, 2012

New Every Morning! (re-inspired by lifeingrace)

   I am, like so many women, more specifically like so many women in my life (which is maybe why they're in my life to begin with) heavily prone to writing lists and getting delightfully giddy at the beginning of a project or adventure. I tend to foam in my accident-prone mouth at the sight of blank paper, crisp, early sunrises, and January, which is pretty much our cultural embodiment of new beginnings, followed closely by Easter and spring garden planting.

   I have also had divided success with past lists, though, maybe because the lists are so great in number. Thinking the sensible thing to do this year was control my natural urge to change the world (or at least my red dirt covered corner of it), I thought and thought about everything I wanted for 2012. I tried to see through to the core of why these good and worthy goals haven't been reached already, about why the same  wishes cling tenaciously to my Long List. I managed to boil it all down to the Lowest Common Denominator, into one articulatable "resolution," though some would argue this is too broad to qualify: 

"Time Management." 
Yawn.

   Then something wonderful happened to shatter the clay around my mind and loose a myriad of vivid feelings and ideas that were swirling around insistently anyway.

   What happened is that tonight I stumbled on an electrified post by Edie at lifeingrace, her thoughts and encouragement about writing New Year resolutions. The best part is that she (or perhaps a friend of hers) coined them reVolutions. I can't get over how cool this is, you guys. Please go read her post as well as her very colorful list of personal reVolutions for 2012.

********************

Are you back? Or did I lose everybody 
because you're off writing your own electrified lists? 
If so, that's cool.
xoxoxo



This less photoshoppy list belongs to moi. I couldn't wait.
And it just so happens that my new not blank anymore planner 
offers one large lined page just for personal notes.
This passionate brainstorming session was kinda meant to be.

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   What I liked about the switch that flipped here is the freedom, the encouragement to be truly wild with my wish making, my list writing and my hope forming. This is passionate, crazy-bones brainstorming, friends, and I groove it in a big way.

   Hopefully, better time management will underscore a lot of my new habits in 2012, sure, but the coming months are bigger than one goal. Life is rich and complex whether I lose 18 pounds or not (though I do hope this is the last year I fiddle around with that). Every day is beautiful and exciting far beyond the exact condition of my baseboards or compost pile and the exact number of times I post on my blog.

   Tonight's reading and subsequent writing has me thinking BIG, you guys. Big in EVERY direction, and nothing on my hotly scribbled list is outside the bounds of love. None of it will do anything but add to the quality of life both for Handsome and me and for our friends and family.

   Here's to lifeingrace for her inspired post on reVolutions that got me thinking about the whole list-making tendency on a spiritual plane. Thank you for the very C.S. Lewis-y phrase, "liturgy of life."

   Here's to early January in all of her blank-notebook splendor.

   Here's to the power of Love, to the hidden but ever present designs and patterns in life that we sometimes fail to notice, and to the limitless creativity and renewal available to us through God.

Happy New Year *AGAIN* from the Lazy W
xoxoxo

6 comments:

  1. I loved Edie's post at Life in Grace, and I love yours, too. I love the newness of January and new notebooks (LOVE me some office supplies!) and lists. I think I'm going with a guiding word for 2012 to keep me headed on the same path.

    xoxo

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  2. Ooh, ooh, ooh!!! So glad to see you link to the delightful Ms Edie! I haven't actually read her post yet cos I'm only just catching up on my reader after the holidays, but love your post. I'm a list maker too and this makes perfect sense to me.

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  3. I read hers, returned to yours, and loved them both. 2012 is bursting with potential!

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  4. This is such an inspiring post. Read hers and see where you got your inspiration. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Thanks for the encouragement. I made my list and am feeling overwhelmed by it already. Maybe it's the cold I'm fighting off, maybe it's 3 days of snow, maybe it's because I still haven't completely de-Christmassed the house (the No 1 thing on the list for today, followed by cleaning out the fridge of all the Christmas leftovers).

    Have fun!!

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  6. New Year's Resolutions always seem so sad to me, like people are so endlessly unhappy with who they are, then they site up all these goals to change themselves, and because they attempt it all at once, they burn out by week 3 on half of the attempts and the other half by no later than end of FEB. Personally, I like to look back on each year at what I have accomplished, tap myself on the shoulder for each one, and then have a broad spectrum idea of what I want the year to yield and then I break it down into steps, taking it one item at a time as they come up. That way I never burn out, I always feel like I have accomplished something and I always grow a little bit at a time as I can.
    HAVING SAID THAT: I look forward to reading about this reVolution... Of to read it now.

    ReplyDelete

Hey thanks for commenting! I love hearing from people. It's the best. I have recently added word verification, a necessary annoyance. Have a wonderful day!

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