One Little Word: 2016

Sometime in the middle of December, I start thinking about my One Little Word for the next year. This year I listed three possibilities and let them rest. Suddenly one of them began to speak to me and seemed like a word that would encompass most of the intentions I’ve set for the new year.

(photo: Johnson Lake, Banff, AB)

I want to be mindful of my relationships with others.

I want to be mindful and attentive to the activities I engage in.

I want to be mindful of my body and how I treat it.

One of the pleasures of being away from home is the time to surf around the internet, and do some research. I’ve done a lot of reading about mindfulness in the last couple of weeks. It all started in November when I attended a Sunday Seminar on Mindfulness. I’ve tried and failed to start a meditation practice over and over again, but the professor presenting the seminar led me to believe I was being far too hard on myself. So, yes, I’m interested in the study of meditation and mindfulness in the more traditional sense. In fact, a friend gave me a wonderful set of books by Thich Nhat Hanh for Christmas.

But I look at this word in a more global way for my OLW. The best explanation I’ve found for my intentions was on Mindfulnet.org:

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives.  It will not eliminate life’s pressures, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer manner that benefits our heart, head, and body. It helps us recognise and step away from habitual, often unconscious emotional and physiological reactions to everyday events. It provides us with a scientifically researched approach to cultivating clarity, insight, and understanding. Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully present in our life and work, and improve our quality of life.

I think it will help me with the intentions I’ve set for 2016. I limited myself to ten this year. Some are more specific than others, and some you’ll recognize from my 2015 recap. Liz Steel commented in a recent blog post that her “intention becomes a motivation,” and that’s been true for me.

1. Establish Morning and Evening Rituals:

    Morning: An hour to read and reflect: I have a list of reading projects that are perfect for this.

    Evening: Short daily recap; keep a daily gratitude journal.

2. Work to have a fitter, healthier, and trimmer body. I’ve joined Cheri and Melissa in Cathy Zielski’s FIT class, and want to continue the menu planning and food tracking I began in the fall.

3. Block out one day with no commitments/week.

4. Complete five sketches/week.

5. Read three books/month.

6. Complete one online class/month.

7. Purge: craft closet (again), digital folders, and attic.

8. Participate in Helena’s photography meme, Snap.

9. Catch up and continue with Project Life.

10. Work through my stamp collection when making cards; purge those that don’t work for me. Aim for one challenge/week.

We’re home for a brief stay to get Christmas put away, unpack, and repack in order to drive Tracy’s mother’s van to Fort Myer’s Beach for her. Once we return, I can set my focus on making 2016 the year of MINDFULNESS.