Stepping Back Before Going Forward

Today is a day to pause, step back, and remember what life has offered me before leaping into the new year. It is a time to reflect on my positive moves and the gaps that need to be sorted out. In doing so, an image came to mind: being the chalk board monitor in my elementary school days. I eagerly washed the board each day after school. There was a fluidity to that task, a sense of accomplishment and pride as I prepared the chalk board for a new day.

I have been thinking about that action in preparation for choosing my One Little Word (OLW) for 2015. At the start of 2014, I found the perfect word: openness.  It led me to many new opportunities as a connected colleague, writer, professional development specialist, and thinker. I engaged in new ventures; rekindled my love for quiet spaces through yoga; met many individuals, both virtually and face-to-face. I allowed creativity to flow and with so unveiled four galleries of artistic expressions:

• REFLECT WITH ME  - Bringing Together a Community of Writers To Celebrate Life and Learning
• April Awakenings
• Summer Serenity Gallery
• Finding Fall Gallery

Doors opened and I walked through them, sometimes hesitant, but still moving onward. Did I accomplish what I set out?  -Partially-  Cluttered messes are still to be found in spaces in my home and mind, but they are being sorted out to bring order and balance to life. Are there gaps that need to be tended to?  -Absolutely-  So I must continue on this journey trying to find the right ingredients to mix a new recipe for 2015 to become a vibrant member of my family and community. 

The hustle and bustle events of the past two months have pushed aside reflective practices that bring order to cluttered chaos. Now is the time for me to step back before going forward.  

Thank you to the entire Two Writing Teachers' Team: Stacey, Betsy, Dana, Tara, Beth, & Anna for creating a safe haven to write weekly slices on life. Please stroll over to the Two Writing Teachers' Slice of Life site to view other writers' views on life this week. 

Celebrating Possibilities Through One Little Word: Openness

It is interesting how one little word (OLW) can change your outlook on life. In January when the bloggers asked which word would guide your path I decided upon openness. Being resolute in purpose to shift, reflect, and redesign a course of action, this OLW became my portal to a year of possibilities. Today, I not only honor the journey of life and learning that I have traveled this year but focus on my most recent week of celebrations.

As 2014's weeks unfolded, doors opened to noticings, wonderings, and possibilities. I became acutely aware of my surroundings and opportunities offered in positive and negative spaces. One simple word became a beacon, guiding my footing as surely as the fuzzy caterpillar that intersected my summer path years ago. For a brief moment, I stopped to muse on the caterpillar crossing that tickled my finger as a child.  Life's movements were noted in the here and now back then.  My adult eyes now see nature's simplicities differently. Perhaps, the caterpillar's parade was a prelude to its metamorphosis. If questioned would it have said the following? Step lightly! Observe your surroundings! Avoid distractors! Celebrate the destination! 

Months have passed since the word openness became my guide to possibilities. Some weeks seemed more celebratory than others but this past week marked a momentous occasion-38 years of marriage. To celebrate, a jaunt to New York City was in order. 

Anticipating what the "city" has to offer is always an exciting prospect. Driving into Manhattan on a clear day provides a panoramic view of a skyline that is breathtaking no matter how many times seen. Warm sunshine, teeming crowds, clomping hoof beats, shoes pounding, and honks beeping in syncopated motion are sights and sounds illustrating the pulsating beats of a city alive with possibilities. From Restaurant Row, to Broadway, through Times Square, and off to Fifth Avenue by way of Bryant Park and the NYC Library, I marveled as though this was the first traveling of an eager tourist. I took in the offerings, savoring each as a delectable bite of perfection. When the day came to a close, exhaustion and sore feet could not take away the splendor of what New York City has to offer.

It is fitting that this blog post is filled with the word celebrations. Four times in the course of two days have I engaged in positive offerings: a birthday outing to a movie with friends, a pop-up of Ruth Ayres' Celebrate This Week site, a Sunday morning "Spiritchat" Twitter chat on "Celebrating Community with Combustion," and a relaxing yoga session in which I was able to reflect in stillness. These events plus my 38th anniversary outing have opened my heart to the importance of celebrations. For their spontaneity and simplicity, I am grateful.

Thank you to Ruth Ayres for starting a link up to celebrate the week's highlights. 

You can view the Celebrate This Week's offerings here.