Hello 2020.
Hello Balance.
For the past few years I have jumped on the trend of choosing a word for the year as opposed to making specific, and probably quickly abandoned new years resolutions. This year's word is BALANCE. I like to use the "Find Your Word" free course by Susannah Conway that a friend pointed me to. It takes you through 5 days of exercises to thoughtfully but still very organically find the word that feels right ... this is the final product of those exercises.
My word, balance, is surrounded by a lot of other supporting words that came up repeatedly for me: prioritize, peace, calm, forgive, compassion, strength, restore, and vision. Balance seemed to bring all of these together.
My hope is for this to be a centering word - when I seem to be straying too far in one direction or another... mostly if I seem to be straying too far in a stressful, work filled, perfectionist, direction... lol. I don't tend to stray in the the relaxed, anxiety free, direction very often, or ever! I also need to make sure not to stray too far into the eating junk, not making health a priority direction...I know I need to learn to prioritize and find balance in the center.
My Balance Check for this week: zoodles, tea, homemade trail mix (no almonds), and planning :-)
I also spent time reading, visiting my dear Aunt, taking flowers to my parent's grave, juicing, having family Christmas in January, and getting more caught up at work... easing into 2020 like a boss...or something like that...
Balance goals for the coming week:
Drink more water!
Meditate
What We're Reading and Listening to:
Audiobook:
I'm using the Libby app through the public library to listen to A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson. I'm really enjoying it so far...and the historical and ecological details that I might find myself skimming if I were reading it, I find I am really enjoying listening too. I'm not finished it yet, but I can already say I would highly recommend listening to or reading this one! It also makes my commute not seem so long 🚗...
Books:
Today I started reading Guts by Raina Telgemeier - I love her work and this one is proving to live up to my expectations and exceed them! This Children's/Middle Grade graphic novel about fear, anxiety, school, friendship and simply navigating life spoke right to my heart. As someone who also has bouts of struggling with anxiety I sure wish I had had this book when I was a kid. With that said - this is definitely not just for kids! Pick it up!
Camping Husband is reading An Abundance of Katherines by my all time favorite author John Green... he's not quite finished yet but I've heard him chuckle several times reading it and that makes my heart happy! I think this is a great John Green book if you're looking for something a tiny bit lighter than his more well known books like The Fault in our Stars (which will likely cause your eyes to leak a lot).
Let me know what you're reading, and what you're looking forward to in 2020, and Happy New Year a few weeks late!
Peace, Love, and Paw Prints,
Camping Librarian
