Updated word for 2009
Posted: June 29th, 2009 | Author: Jacky | Filed under: Life | 1 Comment »When I picked my word for 2009, I had lofty visions for myself. I’d been running consistently for a few months, feeling generally inspired by the start of a new year and all the possibility that comes with it, and even made Excel charts of everything I wanted to accomplish on a weekly basis (which seriously detailed how many ounces of water I should be drinking daily, how often I should be exploring and taking pictures, and how much money I should be putting away for retirement).
The extent of my highly detailed goals ended up overwhelming me instead of keeping me on track. I wanted to do so much that just thinking about it exhausted me. All the projects I wanted to do and books I wanted to read left little time for friends or just myself. It was hard to keep up the momentum when everything was slipping by so quickly.
So now that the year is more than halfway through, I’m revising my word. From here on out, it’s “pace.” In running, it’s starting off easy so that you can last the distance. It’s knowing how to adjust when you’re struggling up a hill or coasting down a slope. It’s keeping steady over a flat surface and staying in tune with your body and how it’s reacting. Maintaining a good pace includes taking breaks for water and recovery so you can recharge and come back stronger.
And with those same ideas in mind, I want to work on challenging myself to write more, post more, be better about my presence on this site and start a conversation with readers. But I’m going to ease back into it. Once I’m writing consistently, I’ll focus on adding photography. And then the design (what’s the use in being proud of my design if there’s nothing on the site?).
I realize now that I can’t get it all done at once and still be present or coherent enough to enjoy it. And there’s nothing wrong with honestly gauging where you are in life and proceeding accordingly.
i’m an associate of mary anne radmacher’s and saw you’ve enjoyed her quote, “it is not the easy or convenient life for which i search.” i know mary anne is so happy when people find inspiration from her words in the context of their daily lives. for more work from mary anne’s hand visit her website maryanneradmacher.com. mary anne has written several books and shares her work in many forms including conferences and classes. If you’d like more information feel free to e-mail me at jessicaformaryanneradmacher@gmail.com. thanks for sharing her words!