Word Play

Words are an integral part of who I am. As a writer, they are rather essential, n’est-ce pas?  As I mentioned in this recent post, I’ve followed the practice for several years of allowing a word to choose me as an anchor or guidepost for the coming season. My word for 2015 was YIELD.

Yield: to give forth or produce by a natural process or in return for cultivation

Cultivate: to prepare & work on; to promote or improve the growth of by labor & attention; refine; to devote to oneself

Looking back in my journals from December of last year, I see that I wrestled with this word and concept for weeks before I realized it was planting itself as the flag on my 2015 journey. It seems like honest words have a way of doing that.

It’s important for me to have a word with the right amount of balance between challenge and ease. I can’t love it entirely or I don’t have something to bump up against. And, if it’s too heinous, I will run away like a frightened animal and never look back. YIELD provided a lovely balance for growth and opportunity.

Looking forward, my word for 2016 is REFLECT. Its multi-faceted meaning is something I look forward to traveling with over the next twelve months. In the spirit of reflection, today I decided to explore where I was at this time last year and see where I wanted to go for upcoming the year. My three main focuses for 2015 were Writing. Travel. Family/Violet.

As I looked at Instagram’s #2015bestnine, I see that those are precisely the themes that my photos express. (My writing theme is slightly hidden from the naked eye, but BLUE: a novel is represented by the photo in front of the Honey Bucket taken on release day September 10, 2015 and by my blue sunglasses that I sported for weeks around the launch). The rest? Well, it’s a lovely reflection of Travel and Family.

 

There is something powerful in writing things down and setting intentions. It doesn’t come from a place of SHOULD or HAVE TO. It’s more fluid than that. It’s no wonder that water (i.e. fluidity) is a symbol of transformation. I wonder what this year of reflection will bring? How will you and I allow ourselves to go with the flow in the coming months? Will we be pleased with the reflection we offer to others and ourselves? I guess only time will tell.