In the past I have focused on words like "breathe" and "balance" but not with any real mindfulness and focus. This year I was at a loss for a word that I felt really spoke to what I wanted out of 2019 so at the recommendation of a coworker and friend I used a 5 day email course to choose my word. Here's the link: https://www.susannahconway.com/word/
The activities for the 5 days were pretty thorough! I shared them with Camping Husband after the fact and he was like "wow - all that to pick a word!" :-) It had you do things like think about what you want more of, less off, your ideal day, and then narrowing it down to 5 words and exploring their meanings - lots of food for thought! At the end of it I came up with the word NURTURE. It really encapsulates a lot of the ideas I was throwing around into one word.
I envision all sorts of ways to make sure I am nurturing myself - focusing on healthy habits, self care, exploring meditation, essential oils and any other tools I might not know about. I also want to nurture some hobbies and interests that have been set aside in the past few years because of busy schedules and moving and unpacking and all the things! I want to hear the whir of the sewing machine, and feel the paintbrush move across a canvas, hear the crunch of leaves under my hiking boots and get lost in my thoughts and in a good book a little more often. Finally, and certainly not least important I hope to make a mindful effort to nurture relationships that are important to me. I think all of this also speaks to choosing what to put energy into - in order to nurture what's important, sometimes we have to choose what not to do as well... that perhaps might be the hardest.
The other words that found their way into my top 5 were: Joy, Grace, Calm/Relax, and Healing - and I'm bound to reflect on those and look to them for guidance from time to time as well. I'm always a fan of #choosingjoy
I've rambled on enough I think for the morning but I don't want to leave out one of my staple blog sections :-) So without further ado here is:
What I'm Reading:
If you're local (or even if you're not!) please check out my library's 2019 Reading Challenge! The theme for January is a book you've been meaning to read... and I had the perfect selection! I have had this on on my to-be-read list FOREVER it seems...
So far I am really enjoying it! I'm only about halfway through but there is plenty of time left in the month to keep curling up with this classic...
I'm also reading this one:
This one is for a professional book discussion I will be attending next week - I'll share any useful tidbits and take-aways when I'm finished.
Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
Peace, Love, and Paw Prints,
Camping Librarian
