“How can we begin to move gracefully toward the people around us without stomping all over their nuance if we don’t first take the time to listen and see?” - Emily P. Freeman
How do we take time to listen and see if we do not have intentions?
How do we have intentions without the space and calm to be intentional?
How do we have space and calm when we are surrounded in clutter?
What does it look like to move gracefully toward calm?
I don’t know about you, but the end of a year and transition into a new one always provides me with a sense of hope and possibility. 2018 was a difficult one for me from a health perspective - our family is in a season with young children and all the germs and we seem to have spent the year passing every illness around to each family member. I mean, I had strep throat twice! Isn’t that an illness for children? Gah! Throw in a surprise appendectomy on the eve of a new school year and needless to say we have high hopes for 2019! We've been building up our immune system, right?!
I think one of my biggest reflections on myself is my reactions and expectations. I’ve always expected a lot of myself, but am not always aware of my expectations of others. My type A, order loving, planner focused self tends to react when there are bumps in the road in a less than calm way. So, if you are familiar with the idea of centering your year around a word, mine for 2019 is:
CALM
By having one word that inspires me, I can think about how to incorporate more of this into my response to the inevitable hiccups of life. And one of the first steps for me has always been my physical space. Now that we have 3 school age children, we have worked hard over the last year to put several systems in place and routines that help our busy days flow. I don’t want to spend so much time on STUFF, but have a calm space that supports our family goals of being active, seeking adventure and spending time with people we love. I hear so many around me, as well is in my business, say “I have too much stuff”, which is why I aim to help families bring calm to their spaces so their priorities are more accessible.
Hopefully I can move gracefully toward calm responses that allow me to truly connect in a positive way with those around me.
Do you have a word for the new year?