Making This Year Count
A new year. A blank page. A forest of snow
without footprints. What will this year bring?
What footprints will we leave? What will give this
year meaning?
These are the questions I'm pondering as I make
jambalaya and rejoice in the miraculous news that my
father does not have esophageal cancer. A week of
worry has morphed into a feeling that I can only
describe as buoyant. And utter gratitude.
Death on your doorstep will do that.
As I look ahead at this blank year, I wonder what will
make this year count. What if this year were MY
last? What risks would I be willing to take, what
causes would I take a stand for, what would have
me sooooooo committed I'd do whatever it took?
Sarah Steps Out
My dear friend Sarah Pring has bolted out of the
gates in this fresh new year. She's just committed to
the Avon Breast Cancer Walk which requires her to
walk 39 miles in 2 days and raise $1800 to
support breast cancer research. Sarah is British,
private and allergic to athletics. What's lit her fire?
"Radical action is required if I am going to stop the
slide into total big fat couchy-ness that seems to be
gaining momentum. I can't waste another moment -
life is flying by..." Sarah writes.
Sarah is making this year count.
Hot Water: Sizzling Risks
Kathryn Jordan's novel, Hot Water, has
registered on my radar screen, too. It's about a
fantasy weekend for Julia, a midwestern, midlife
woman who's stuck in a life that doesn't fit anymore.
Julia rents a red Lamborghini, hires a male escort and
escapes to a secluded spa resort in the Southwest
for a steamy weekend. The sensual surprises are
sizzling! (I'm playing around with this one--hmmm,
could Derek, my husband of 18 years with the '64
Corvette convertible, be my male escort?)
Julia is making this year count.
Morgaine's Top 10 Ideas for Making This Year Count!
1. Form a women's group that meets... just because.
2. Dance to sultry blues in the warm rain in your
nightie.
3. Just before bed, sit with your family on the
hallway stairs and take turns each sharing 1 thing
that was great about their day, 1 thing that was
hard, and 1 thing they look forward to. Everybody's
job is to just listen quietly. No advice.
4. Turn your cell phone off for 24 days and pretend
you're on vacation on a remote island without cell
service. Remember what it was like before you had a
cell phone and how you dealt with emergencies
then...
5. Surprise someone you love or admire with a quick
visit--and trust that your uninterrupted attention will
be the greatest gift you can give... and receive.
6. Dedicate a whole week to going Full Out on some
project or passion you've been secretly dreaming
of. Tell no one.
7. On the next snow day, take a "PJ Day" and invite
your family to join you in schlepping around all day in
pajamas, making chocolate chip cookies, and
doing anything that brings giggles!
8. Write down your night dreams and read 1 of them
out loud to your best friend. Then ask your friend: "If
this were your dream, what would it mean to
you?"
9. Spend 15-30 minutes daily simply feeling your
feelings about something that's bothering you,
whether it's anger, sadness, fear. Do nothing. Just
feel the feelings and then let them go.
10. Take the smallest possible step on something
you've been putting off doing OR longing to do. Make
the step super small and then celebrate it
like it was the biggest accomplishment you've ever
done!
|
