Monday, February 5, 2018

Word Up: Growth

Around four years ago I started the practice of selecting my Word of the Year. In 2015, the word was VIBRANT. I wasn't feeling that way at all, in fact most of the time I wanted to crawl into cave and hide there. I purposely selected a word that would assist in helping me come out of a self-imposed shell. I also wanted to be more aware of how I carry myself and my presence in the world. Self-observation, done without judgment and honesty can really open one's view points. I'm not always vibrant, but I've learned the essence of the word means, how intoxicating it can feel and how it has absolutely nothing to do with how one looks.

In 2016, I sat in a very uncomfortable chair at Nebraska Medicine, while Pake was recovering from his fifth surgery. I was just starting the last of two graduate classes, one of the hardest I'd ever taken. I felt heavy, burdened, and totally unmotivated. With so many things up in the air, so many tasks that were needing to get done, The word COMPLETION came to me. (It actually took longer than a year for that to manifest; the final "achievement" came through last summer!)

In 2017, with a very broken heart, I selected the word Next-Level. Nothing in my life made sense or fit and I knew it would take my focus to move through the grief and loss I was feeling. Where I had been, was no longer going to be a fit for, where I needed to go. When you are at the bottom of a deep hole, the only way to go is up. There is not a way to minimize grief, numb it out or remove it. It's here, it's there, it's wherever I go/wherever I went. I don't expect that it will leave anytime soon, and I've learned to stop fighting it. Some days are better than others, and the other days, I do my best to find positive ways to move through them. One day, at a time, and somedays it's one hour or one minute at a time.

This year, my word is GROWTH. I don’t have any fixed visions or images of how this will come through. I’ve thought a lot about the word, what it means and how it feels. Lately I have realized that in order to grow, I have to cultivate the space to do so, both within my being and within my environment. To do this, the logical action step is to weed out what has previously blocked my growth. Like any good gardener, I have to cultivate the soil if I want to grow a healthy crop.

I've written about the benefits of clutter clearing. I sometimes post my purge details on social media. It feels GOOD to let go of things I no longer want/need/use. I keep a "release" list in my journal. When an item comes to mind, I write it down, thank it, ask it to find a new home and then I let go. Rather than seasonally clearing clutter, I am now doing this as a continual process. I am curious to see what all will be weeded out this year? I wonder what wonderful invitations and opportunities will come into my space/world/reality?

In looking at the meaning of GROW, I'm seeing that soil (space) is needed to cultivate a healthy garden (life). It is essential that we take the time to get rid of plants/species that take up space, leach nutrients and generally don't contribute anything. (Remind you of any people and/or life situations?) In order to raise a robust garden we have to * clear the space and *til the soil *plant the seeds *tend and nurture seed growth. I'm sure you get the metaphors here.

In my quest to raise my own life's garden, it's become very apparent that I've needed to make some changes. These are by no means drastic shifts, but they are different. They are small, and the key is being consistent, which is a a bit different than what I have practiced before.

Before anything is planted, it is necessary to let go of things that are not bearing fruit. Why waste time on causes, practices, habits, choices and relationships that are not going to contribute me/my life? This does require me to question, observe, and be vigilant on what and where I place my focus. Getting really clear on my priorities and taking daily action steps daily is how I move closer to my targets.

Growth comes in various stages and forms. At times it doesn't require taking steps at all. Our bodies/beings may ask for time to contemplate and rest. Growth happens even if we are sleeping (just look at hair, nails and other cells). Sometimes growth isn't about adding things to our lives. At times, growth may require us to let go of people and situations that stunt and suffocate our upward movements. Cultivating our soil is about pushing through old beliefs, stagnant habits and challenging long-held points of view. Growth happens continually, with and without our conscious interaction. How much could we grow by making the choice to do so, working in conjunction with our time, traits and talents? What shifts would we experience if we co-created with growth, rather than leave it to auto-pilot? What would our lives be like if we took conscious ownership of our growth and took better aim at our targets?

One of the fastest ways for me to change is to do some heavy weeding. Just like clearing out a space in my garden, I need to clear out the spaces in my life for growing the goodness I am asking to experience. I’ll be sharing some thoughts on Letting Go In Order to Grow. I don’t know how long the series will go, I do hope that it can be a contribution to those of you who are ready to create a life that is more congruent with who you are and what you are asking for.

Weekly Weeding:
It's really eye-opening when we become aware of the weeds in our personal spaces. One of the pesky ones for me has been the thought "I'll use it in the future." While it may be true, it is very likely that I will get that future point and forget about the item.

*Vases: I have kept these thinking I will fill them up with cool rocks or shells or found objects. I kept one and let the others go. I think they are neat and fun, and... they feel like clutter. I can replace them if I choose to.
*Scentsy pot and smelly bars: There aren’t hurting anything, but I don’t use them.
I made it a point to use these and then the light burned out. I didn't replace it.
I boxed these up and let them go.
*Tiny lotions, shampoos, conditioners: I kept these because they are handy for travel.
*Water bottles: One of my former obsessions. I have a kept a few for the kids to use and/or
to send with a guest. Like clothing items and shoes, I am only using my favorites
so I'm sending these babies down the road.
*Books: It’s good to purge from time to time. I will likely always buy books
but I'm not keeping ones that I haven't read and know that I won't read.
I have digital copies and those are handy when traveling but I truly enjoy holding a physical
copy and I find it is better on my eyes.


In keeping with recycling tradition, I am happy to gift these items. That said, I don’t want it
to cost me anymore time, money, attention, energy or awareness. What I’ve posted here and
on social media is up for grabs. If you are interested, please come and get these things. ) In fact,
there are probably a lot more that I don't post about, but am ready to release). If you see or
see a particular items and it would be a contribution to you (clothing, shoes,
decorations, books, etc) please let me know! If you are willing to pay for shipping and handling,
I'll happily gift you the item(s). My target is to streamline my life and possessions and if, in the letting go,
those items can be useful to someone, that would make me very happy!

Creative Growth Step:
One of the choices I've made recently was to move from several journals to one. I have abandoned calendars/planners/organizers (hard to do as I LOVED starting new ones!)  I am down to just this journal. It is coffee stained, tattered, and random. It contains my navigation notes, ideas, and actions plans. I have a running list of daily, monthly and yearly steps. I have let go of all other organization systems and just started using and creating what works for me. (I have some really cool, leather, journal covers if anyone is interested in them. I don’t see myself going back to them.) This may seem like a really simple step, but I've found that is very freeing.  I'm not flipping from journal to journal. This one goes with me everywhere. It's big enough, but not too big (I've tried larger and smaller sizes).  I'm a visual person so seeing my thoughts, ideas and schedules is helpful. I use Google Calendars for reminders and appointments. 


Has a word of the year found you? What are your priorities? What are your targets? What actions steps can you take today/this week to move you closer? Please share in the comments below. 













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