Posts Tagged ‘#reverb11’
December 27th, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
18. Ordinary Sparkling Moments. Reflect on the ordinary moments that bring you joy (e.g., the tea pot whistling, the sun setting). What moments would you like to relish in the coming year?
For this prompt, I decided to approach my response using a more visual technique. I created the mosaic above to reflect ordinary sparkling moments from 2011—moments that I hope to continue to cherish in the coming year. This mosaic represents such extraordinary happiness. I highly recommend putting together a little personal collage of happy moments/memories from 2011 that you can look back on at any time and feel a surge of joy :).
My Technique (Love reading others’ step-by-step processes so I thought it would be fun to share the nitty gritty details!)
(1) I spent about five minutes journaling ordinary sparkling moments from 2011. After this exercise, I had a list about a page long of happy moments + memories.
(2) Next, I brainstormed how I wanted to share this list. I could type the list and publish it in its raw form or capture the list in a more visual form. Since I have relied on words for most of my reverb11 responses, I chose to move outside my comfort zone and use the visual approach.
(3) I selected a mosaic photo template created by Pugly Pixel for Photoshop.
(4) I searched for photos* to capture a few of the ordinary sparkling moments on my list. After finding about 20 photos, I cropped and edited until I got down to just the right number of photos for this particular mosaic. I knew I was done when I looked at the mosaic and felt a strong emotional response to the collection of images all together :).
*I keep track of images that I find online by creating a new bookmark folder for particular blog posts. For example, for this post, I created a bookmark folder with the name: OSM (Ordinary Sparkling Moments). As I find photos, I bookmark the photo and save it to its post folder so I can easily find the image sources to link back to when I’m finalizing my post. I very rarely will share an image if I can’t find the source to reference.
Ordinary Sparkling Moments 2011 (Image Sources and Notes)
Blogshop Boston (Group Photo) | Carolyn + Lila Rose (Oct. 2011—I remember playing with Lila and feeling such joy. It was a weekend evening and my hubby and I were having a casual cosy night in. I asked him to take a spontaneous photo to capture this ordinary moment of bliss.) | Twinkle Lights (always make me happy) | Pink + Gold Wrapping (this is my new favorite color combination and inspired me to get more creative with my own holiday wrapping this year!) | Book Styling Photo (Leah Verwey shot and styled the most beautiful photos of my book. Looking at this photo and acknowledging this experience makes me incredibly proud and grateful for my book’s journey.) | Carolyn + Ben (Oct. 2011 in Paris—This photo was taken at a fabulous bistro in Paris on our first night. We were so excited to be celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary in such a special place, just the two of us.) | Cocoa and Hearts Painting (My hubby bought me this painting for our apartment. It has the most beautiful pinks and golds in it. In the evening, the gold sparkles and just looking at it brings a smile to my face.)
Tags: #reverb11, 2011, collage, Goals, intentions, Ordinary Sparkling Moments, photoshop, pugly pixel, Reflection, resolutions, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Personal
December 26th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
Today, I’m sharing my responses to four of the Reverb11 prompts (prompts 14 – 17).
14. Marvel. What have you done well over the past year—the little stuff and the big stuff? How do you celebrate the positives?
- I had my wisdom teeth removed (something I’ve been afraid to do for awhile).
- I completed a semester of difficult coursework.
- I ran 21 participants in my research study (all in about one month!). I analyzed the data and presented my research on three separate occasions. I completed my research thesis.
- I completed a year long clinical practicum.
- I persevered through some really difficult situations and have become truly resilient.
- I wrote regularly on A Beautiful Ripple Effect.
- I participated in Blogshop and am practicing my new Photoshop techniques.
- I created a bucket list!
Celebrate the Positives
Over the past year, I’ve been trying to recognize and celebrate more of the positives. It’s easier to do this when we’re younger because a lot of the positives are celebrated by others—ribbons, awards, recitals, graduations, and so on. As we get “older,” it can feel a bit obnoxious to celebrate oneself. But it’s pretty easy to berate oneself, especially to others. Without practice, one can forget to celebrate the positives and simply focus on the negatives. Consider it part of your self-care routine to regularly check-in with yourself and find little ways to recognize what you’ve done well (even if that means simply writing down one thing you done well at the end of each day). Below is a few ways I’ve celebrated the positives over the past year.
- Daily Gratitude Journal: I began writing down one thing that went well during my day each evening. This new ritual enabled my mind to shift to a more positive focus before retreating to bed. Sometimes, I simply wrote that I opened my gratitude journal (yes, it’s really that simple and has a profound effect).
- After my wisdom teeth were removed, I downloaded a few favorite movies to watch while I recovered and really relished this time to myself to enjoy some much needed me time. It was my little celebration.
- After completing a very difficult semester, I celebrated by attending two of my closest friends’ weddings. I loved looking forward to these events during the long days and even longer evenings!
- My husband helped me celebrate receiving my master’s degree by wrapping up my diploma as a surprise present :).
- Celebrated a year of perseverance and triumph with my husband for our 1 year wedding anniversary.
15. Fear. The easiest way to overcome fear is to confront it. Rather than brainstorm ways to avoid your “fear,” shift your attention to the reasons for confronting your fear. What fear would you like to overcome in 2012?
Fear of the unknown. I would like to cultivate an attitude of curiosity rather than worry when it comes to dealing with the unknown.
16. Transitions. Over the past year, have you experienced any major/minor life transitions? How has your life changed?
YES. A major part of my life has changed over the past year. It’s something I’m still trying to figure out in my own way, in private. My life is changing a lot, and I look forward to the moment in time when this change is not so raw and tender. At that time, I’ll begin to share this transition in my life—what happened, what I’ve learned, what I’m learning (and need to learn), and how I move forward and see this transition as something that has only helped shape me into the person I will become. I’m slowly getting to this place (note: slowly), but when I arrive (which I can’t wait to occur), I know that I will have a treasury of new knowledge to help others dealing with difficult transitions in a truly profound way. That is what I know. And that is what fuels me to get through the difficult days, to see the glimmer of light that is beginning to appear.
17. Bliss. What are three things that make you feel the most blissed out? What can do in 2012 to invite more of that into your life?
Yoga | Writing | Creating
I need to prioritize these three activities—to recognize how important they are for me and to respect that truth. I am worthy of bliss, worthy of time dedicated solely to bliss.
image: once wed
Tags: #reverb11, Bliss, celebrate, fear, Goals, intention, journaling, marvel, Reflection, reverb, Self-Care, self-compassion, transitions
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Personal, Random, When You Feel
December 23rd, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
13. Love. What are the things (or people or animals) in this world that you love the most?
Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible – it cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could. —Barbara de Angelis
While I enjoy many things in my life, I don’t “love” any material objects. I love my family unconditionally and my closest friends—the ones who have been there for me in both happy and difficult times. And of course, I love the doggies in my life: Lila Rose (doggie daughter), Sadie Belle and Sophie Pie (doggie siblings), and Lyon Cub (doggie nephew).
I also want to use this prompt to share another special component from my wedding: the vows. Below are the vows that Ben and I read to one another and continue to read over and over again :).
image: concrete & honey
vows (typography): shine wedding invitations
Tags: #reverb11, husband, Love, marriage, reverb, vows, wedding
Posted in: #reverb11, Personal
December 20th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
Today, I’m sharing my responses to four of the Reverb11 prompts. I’m feeling festive (and ready for some yummy holiday sweets) so I’m thinking of this post as a scrumptious 4 layer reverb cake.
9. Superpower. If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
I can’t pick just one power! So I, as the superhero, choose to have the power to change my superpower as needed/wanted. Now, that sounds like fun!
10. Soul Food. How do you nourish your soul? What activities are essential nutrients for your soul’s well-being?
journaling. yoga. reading. playing with lila rose. quiet time. lighting a calming candle. connecting with loved ones. blogging. self-compassion. planting gifts for my future self. mindful giving and receiving. writing thank-you notes and just because notes. getting a manicure. creative + imperfect projects. creating structures and systems and plans. organizing. gratitude practice. dreaming and believing and trusting.
11. Anticipation. What is the one thing that you are most looking forward to in 2012?
My sister’s wedding!!
12. Mistakes. It’s easy to focus on our mistakes—to reflect with 20/20 hindsight and berate ourselves for what went wrong. Bring your awareness to a mistake you’ve made over the past year. Unveil one positive lesson from that mistake. How can you actively use this lesson moving forward?
I allowed myself to take on the victim mentality this past year. This mentality was new for me and introduced a new emotion: anger. I held tightly to this identity as victim and this emotion of anger. I felt that anger was my way of gaining control. But I’ve learned that anger is toxic. I began to treat myself poorly, truly believing that I didn’t deserve to be treated better. This was a huge mistake, but one that I needed to make.
Positive Lesson: I can’t control how others treat me or how others value me, but I can control how I treat and value myself as a person. (this distinction is huge!)
Moving Forward: I will try to notice when I begin to feel that I am placing more value on what other people think about me than what I think about me. After noticing, I will gently redirect my focus to protecting my self-worth (magic ingredient: self-compassion).
image: alissa olivares via pinterest
Tags: #reverb11, Goals, intention, Journal, manifest, reflect, resolutions, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Random, Treasure Chest, When You Feel
December 16th, 2011 | 5 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
8. Limits. We often learn our limits the hard way. Were there any limits you realized this past year? Alternately, what self-imposed limits were you able to move beyond this year?
I’ve noticed quite a few limits over the past year. Some of these limits I’ve moved beyond; however, for many of the limits I’m still working on decreasing their power within my life (one little action at a time).
- Reality vs. Vision. I’ve limited myself by thoughts of where I imagined myself to be at this point in my life. When my reality has not aligned with my planned vision, I have focused solely on how to regain this alignment—how to “fix” what has gone wrong. This thinking has limited my ability to create a new vision and realize that just because life is different than I imagined, that I don’t need to “fix” it. This new vision can be exciting. I can continue to dream big and trust my intuition even though things didn’t work out the way I had originally planned. I am working to weaken the self-imposed limits and look at my life with a bit more curiosity rather than certainty.
- Past vs. Future. I’ve let my past (successes and failures) hinder my ability to rewrite the future—to create new habits, new dreams, and so on. This limit is difficult to move beyond, but something I hope to focus more attention on in 2012.
- Actions vs. Emotions. I also realized that I’ve limited my actions based on my emotions. When things got tough, it was easy for my emotions and thoughts to dictate my actions. I realized this limit during 2010, but during 2011 have made great strides in challenging the extent to which I allow my emotions and thoughts to control my actions.
- Blogging. I’m no longer trying to be the “perfect” blogger. I am playing with different topics and having much more fun as a result. It’s becoming easier for me to let down my guard and be more vulnerable in a public forum and at the same time to continue to write inspiring posts about lessons learned. I’ve learned it’s okay to show that you’re human and filled with flaws. It doesn’t devalue what you do know and the knowledge you can share with others. I’ve learned a lot from wearing so many hats and want to continue to share knowledge from my different experiences. I don’t fit into a particular “category” within the blogging world—design, fashion, lifestyle, family, diy, business, extreme personality, etc.. I’ve tried to make myself fit into a category in the past, read countless e-books on blogging, taken courses on the topic, etc.. and while it’s interesting intellectually to understand the culture of these different blog communities, I’m okay not following the rules and letting myself organically manifest my own genre of blogging.
- Paper Products. I have an extreme love for beautiful paper products. However, I’ve always limited myself to being a consumer or simply a paper groupie. But over the past year, I’ve begun creating sketches for different designs and ideas. And I’ve thrown out many of these sketches—attributing them to the products of daydreaming. But I can’t stop thinking about them and realize that there is no need to limit myself because this feels so indulgent and crazy! I told my husband about this crazy idea and he didn’t understand why I wouldn’t go for it. I’ve done far scarier things in the past. Why not give it a try? Finally, I took the first step and reached out to the one person I trust completely to help me bring this dream to life. And in 2012, I’m going to make this dream happen. I’m releasing this self-imposed limit. I’m going to bring this idea to life.
- Structure and Flexibility. I am most productive when I’m in my normal day to day routine. I crave the structure of knowing how and where my day will unfold. My office space is my landing pad, the place I feel organized and prepared to attack any project. Over the past year, I’ve been traveling far more than usual which has challenged my ability to feel grounded while on the go. And I haven’t done too well! I realize that I need to create a bit more structure for myself when I’m away from my “landing pad” so I can maintain a certain level of productivity. There are emails to answer, posts to write, projects to move forward, and so on. This self-imposed limit is going to be the most difficult to diminish, but one that is necessary for me to confront in order to feel a bit more at ease when traveling.
image: artsyville
Tags: #reverb11, artsyville, expectations, Goals, intentions, limits, resolutions, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Defeated, Personal, Random, When You Feel
December 12th, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
7. Giving. “The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give your gift away.” (David Viscott) What is your gift to give?
About a week ago, I read a post by Jessica Nichols on her blog, Sweet Eventide, entitled: Jessica takes a Sabbatical. Jessica’s words resonated strongly with me, but there was one line in particular that I related to the most. Sharing these words and this feeling is not something I feel comfortable doing, but am willing to do so anyway since I think it’s a sentiment rarely acknowledged aloud.
I give and I give and I give.
And as Jessica acknowledges in her post, giving unconditionally leaves you completely drained. Because when you give so freely, people forget to ask and just take and take and take. You lose your equilibrium and suddenly you’re no longer in control of your gift.
My “gift” is very difficult to define since it has no tangible presence. I didn’t even begin to discover my gift until after graduating from college. Prior to this discovery period, I gave my gift away without even realizing. I was not mindful of what I was giving at the time.
I won’t claim to know that I’ve got my “gift” fully figured out, even after years of discovery; however, I am consciously recognizing more and more of what I have to give to others.
My gift: intellectual curiosity aimed at solving the puzzles of ordinary and extraordinary suffering coupled with a fierce determination to alleviate suffering in the lives of people that cross my path. While I may be book smart, I have learned that my intuition is far more valuable than any knowledge learned from a book. This intuition is my strongest gift and the variable that enables me to solve problems and alleviate suffering.
In the past, I’ve tried to force myself to value knowledge (i.e., lessons from books or the words of “experts”) over intuition. And I did a good job at letting knowledge dictate my direction rather than intuition—most of the time. However, when my intuition did win over knowledge, I created miraculous gifts like a non-profit organization that awarded over 100 college scholarships or a book that celebrates turning fear into hope at the most difficult of times. And those are just the tangible products, it’s really the intangible products, the experiences and moments that are the priceless byproducts of following my intuition.
Trusting my intuition isn’t easy and often challenges the status quo. However, I realize that if this intuition were nourished rather than belittled, I would be able to give far more than I could imagine and create even greater change in the lives of others. I am beginning to understand that not protecting my gift would be selfish.
…
These words feel raw and unfinished. I’ve written the above sentences at least three different times—each time trying to find clarity between the lines. However, these words and feelings are unfinished in real time. I’m still within the cocoon of discovery.
image: sweet eventide (support jessica’s gift by purchasing an item from her etsy store)
Tags: #reverb11, Authenticity, discover, imperfection, intention, Jessica Nichols, perfectionism, Reflection, reverb, Sweet Eventide
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Personal
December 9th, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
6. Ease. What can you do to add ease to 2012?
First, to shift myself into the “ease” mentality, I turned to dictionary.com for some ways to think of “ease.” Below are a few of the definitions I found.
1. to free from anxiety or care
2. to mitigate, lighten, or lessen
3. to release from pressure, tension, or the like
4. to move or shift with great care
5. to render less difficult; facilitate
Feeling more tranquil after just reading the above descriptions, I realized how important it is for me to really prioritize ease this coming year.
Next, I opened my journal to a blank page and wrote the word ease along the top. On this page, my goal was to release any automatic and unfiltered thoughts associated with ease. Essentially, this is a brain dump of everything and anything that floats into the mind related to thoughts of ease.
Then, I looked at particular ways I could add ease in the coming year. To focus on particular ways, I asked myself a few questions.
What feels difficult?
What would make this feel less difficult?
What do I enjoy doing?
How could I make it easier to do more of what I enjoy doing?
In order to add ease to 2012, I need to check in with myself on a regular basis. By doing regular check-ins, I could practice making tiny changes (less daunting, more doable) and see what works and what doesn’t work to make the difficult stuff less difficult and the good stuff more enjoyable.
I will begin this practice by:
1. Scheduling a few minutes at the end of each week to focus on the topic of ease.
2. Using the questions above as journal prompts for this weekly exercise and revising the questions as needed.
3. Ending this weekly exercise with a focused action that I can use to add more ease to the upcoming week.
What can you do to add ease to 2012?
image: iro ivy
… have you entered the desire to inspire sparkling giveaway (ends sunday!)
Tags: #reverb11, Ease, goal, intention, manifest, reflect, reverb, Simplify
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Balance & Simplicity, Overwhelmed, Personal, When You Feel
December 8th, 2011 | No Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
5. Reading. What has been your favorite book (or books if you can’t pick just one) that you’ve read this year?
My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter. -Thomas Helm
I read all the time, usually more than one book at a time. Within the pages of my favorite books, you would see scribbled notes along the margins and earmarked sections indicating favorite passages. My books become similar to journals for me. I have a different relationship with books that I can hold in my hands as opposed to books I read digitally. Finding a new book that few people know about is my favorite experience. I love sharing my latest favorites and exchanging must reads with others. And a random tidbit, I haven’t read any of the Harry Potter books or the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books. There’s no particular reason why I haven’t read these series, I’ve just never felt drawn to them.
I’ve read so many wonderful books in 2011 that I can’t pick a single favorite. Instead, I’ve managed to sort through my favorites within a few categories. I would love to know what book(s) you’ve read and loved. I’m very much in need of some new books for traveling over the holidays!
2011 READING
Five Most Recent Books that I’ve read (and enjoyed)
Accidental Bestseller (Wendy Wax), Dressmaker of Khair Khana (Gayle Tzemach Lemmon), The Litigators (John Grisham), Steve Jobs (Walter Isaacson), The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club (Gil Mcneil)
Two Books I Read Again in 2011
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey) and Happier (Tal Ben-Shahar)
Top Two Nonfiction Books
29 Gifts (Cami Walker) and Sabbath (Wayne Muller)
Top Two Fiction Books
The Woodcutter (Reginald Hill) and Cutting for Stone (Abraham Verghese)
*These links are amazon affiliate links. If you decide to purchase one of the books using the links above, I receive a tiny percentage that goes towards fueling my book obsession :).
image: lively photography
… have you entered the desire to inspire sparkling giveaway (ends sunday!)
Tags: #reverb11, books, intention, literature, manifest, Reading, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Creativity & Inspiration, Personal, Random, When You Feel
December 5th, 2011 | 14 Comments »
Note for new readers: Throughout December, I will be posting my personal responses to Reverb11. My posts will be a bit different than usual—more vulnerable, less polished, more frequent, and probably more interesting! However, you can expect some “special” posts during the month as well. If you’re interested in reading more typical content, check out a few of the most popular posts. Regardless of what you’re reading (or not reading), welcome and happy December!
4. Beauty. How have your standards of beauty shifted in the past year?
While reflecting on the topic of beauty, I’ve recognized two common threads: self-confidence and self-compassion. And these two threads are nourished by each other. When I look at a photo of myself, I don’t notice the outfit that I’m wearing or the makeup on my face but rather the expression in my eyes. Did I feel confident in that moment? If so, I see that reflected in the photo and I see beauty. Recently, I’ve also noticed that I receive compliments about random items (e.g., the color of my eye shadow, the pattern on my top) when I am showing up from a place of self-confidence. I think we feed off of one another’s confidence—it has a very positive ripple effect. When I do receive a compliment, I am mindful to say “thank you” rather than belittle the compliment (e.g., “what, you mean this old eye shadow that I got from the bottom of my junk drawer?”).
Over this past year, I’ve noticed the need to infuse more self-compassion into my life. Self-compassion directly impacts my confidence and enables me to remain (mostly) in control of my confidence rather than allow external forces to dictate my current level of confidence.
What I do know: Beauty is complex and deeply personal. Each person sees and feels something different when they look into the mirror. What we see and what we feel doesn’t stem from a number on the scale, the label on our clothes, or the color of our skin.
To say to yourself, “I am beautiful,” is a gift worthy of your attention. To nurture this gift, we must be willing to be vulnerable, to ask ourselves tough questions, to dig deep and give ourselves compassion (especially when we don’t feel that we deserve it), and hold onto our worth with clenched fists.
image: sketch your heart out (modified by me for a beautiful ripple effect)
Tags: #reverb11, elisabeth kubler-ross, Goals, intentions, manifest, reflect, resolutions, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Defeated, Personal, When You Feel
December 4th, 2011 | 7 Comments »
Throughout December, I will be sharing my personal responses to the prompts of Reverb11. Below is my response from the third prompt.
3. Year in Review. As you reflect back on the happenings of 2011, what were your high points and what were your low points? What do you notice as you look back on the year as a whole?
When you start on a long journey, trees are trees, water is water, and mountains are mountains. After you have gone some distance, trees are no longer trees, water no longer water, and mountains no longer mountains. But after you have traveled a great distance, trees are once again trees, water once again water, mountains are once again mountains. -Zen teaching
This prompt was pretty daunting to approach. I began by creating a pros and cons list in my journal—drawing a line down the center of the page and simply putting events that occurred over the past year on either the pro or con side. Then, I thought to myself, I would look for patterns—approach the peaks and valleys through the lens of a researcher. I even sketched ideas for a nice little graph to accompany this scientific project. However, this activity was beginning to feel a bit too sterile—too safe. I wanted to somehow find a way to make all of the jagged pieces fit together in a beautiful mosaic, create a perception of something more or different than the reality.
Honestly, when I think about this past year (and if you read my blog regularly you already know this), it has been incredibly challenging. It was filled with a lot of wonderful occurrences, but a few overpowering negative ones. I still feel bruised and do not have enough distance yet to pull out the magnificent parcels of knowledge I gained over the past year. However, I do know that they exist and that this past year has shaped me in ways that I am just beginning to realize.
One day, I hope to share the pros and cons but am just not ready to begin today. But what I can share is that I’m genuinely excited, for the first time in a long time, about the road ahead.
What do you notice as you look back on 2011?
image: meg hunt via pinterest
Tags: #reverb11, Authenticity, imperfection, Perfection, Reflection, reverb
Posted in: #reverb11, Authenticity, Personal
