a little bit of {this and that}

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Ghandi

When I was in college I had an instructor (I can't call her a professor, because really she wasn't and beside some fun self-exploration exercises she wasn't a very good teacher...anyway....) who led us through several exercises regarding self-exploration (blah, blah, blah). One of our 'assignments' was to pinpoint a goal for the quarter (not related to grades...or turning assignments in on time, something personal - weird) and pick a word or phrase to focus on. Every day, at the beginning of class (I think it was three days a week) we had to journal about our word or phrase for ten minutes. It was a neat exercise. I enjoyed it. The final project was all related to this work.

(photo taken by my mother-in-law, Lee, of a wonderful creation by my husband when he was younger)

I attempted to do this during subsequent quarters, however without the alloted time (blah, blah, blah) I didn't continue. However, the idea of focusing on a word or phrase for a period of time stuck. We did it in Bible study and imagine my delight when my favorite scrapbooker, Ali Edwards, introduced the one-little-word challenge a few years ago. Just what I needed to get me back on track.

For the past two years I chose the same word - believe. I tried changing it last year, but believe seemed to stick. I evidently wasn't through with it yet.

This year's word came to me during the extended winter break. The same word kept coming to me. And let me tell you before I tell you the word that it isn't the word I wanted. I wanted something more, something pretty, something that would make a cute sign (like my believe sign - I love it). However, this word isn't cute. It won't make a cute sign (however, I think I can figure something out!).

My word for 2009 (dudududum!) is do. Yup, you read it right do. DO. DO. DO.

Why did I pick the word do? I hope I can make it make sense for everyone else. It makes sense to me and I guess that is what is important.

Do. I am an idea girl. I have a lot of want-to, that-would-be-fun-to ideas. These ideas cover a wide range of things...some personal, some not so much - not going to list them here. Anyway...I have a lot ideas and plans, oh the plans I can make. My problem is with the execution of said ideas and plans (and really I didn't think execution was a good word - it might be for me, but that is a whole other post). I decided this year I needed a word of action. Believe was a nice word. It was very inner-personal. It was work for me, by me. I didn't really have to put myself out there. But this year I wanted it to be different. I want to DO!

I like that DO is active. I expect change in myself this year.
Resolutions for the new year? No.
Change? Action? Yes.

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." - Albert Einstein