Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gratitude. Show all posts

Saturday, January 1

Bring on the New Year!

I'm excited for this one. I think I've said it before - 2011 is going to be a good year. I actually went so far as to say I feel I will be winning a gold medal* in the category of life with this coming year. Yes, I am that sure.

So last night's great celebration was not just for the upcoming year but also of all the things that have laid the foundation for it to happen.

to 2011 and Beyond!

Thank you friends. Thank you pit-falls.
Thank you comforts. Thank you fears.

Goooooo 2011!

oh and special thank you to Jingle for the comments, support and even snazzy E-awards! (which, I must say I am not quite sure how to navigate...)

*note: the category of life is not a competition between people and so there is really no way to award a limited number of medals. You are the only competitor and the judge and the jury. Feel free to aim for the podium this year too.

Photo by LyndiaP December 31, 2010

Friday, December 31

Ultimate Reflection: first/last 2010

Thanks to the fabulous crew at www.reverb10.com I had sone excellent prompts to help me reflect on my year. So in my continues efforts to respond to as many as feel possible and right for me to respond to. My

December 1, 2010 prompt:One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

The word for 2010: resonance
Why? I have been coming up against many people, decisions and complexities and feel the litmus test is "does this resonate with me?" From what to do on a Friday night to picking a yoga school to (re)adopting new/old beliefs... I built my journey on elements with resonance.

I think 2011's word will be love. This is not just in a "superficial" way of things or experiences or people (but I'm sure of that too), but also love as a deeper power and perspective. Starting tomorrow, I have a feeling that I will be sporadically humming The Beatles more often "do do do-da doo all you need is love. Altogether now... All you need is love."

December 31, 2010 prompt:Core story. What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.)
My core story is being shares with the world more and more. I believe it came up here as well in the December Reverb10 postings too.
My story is the search, celebration and encouraging of passion and joy in myself and others.

The 30th & 2nd meet

Two more from www.reverb10.com

December 30th Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What's the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? The most memorable gift I received this year was multi-part; the gift of insightful, meaningful & genuine teachers in my current phase of life.

December 2nd: Writing: What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
Three things:
1)Tell myself I don't have time. (I know this is untrue. If I just hold myself accountable I can definitely make time/find time every day.)
2)Being apathetic or indifferent, therefore no good, write-able observations. (Find something to write about every day.
3)Self-criticism. (Say the criticism out loud or write it and use it as writing.

Tuesday, December 21

Caw-mew-naa-tee (December 7)

December 7 – Community.
Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

Poetry!! I definitely think that 2010 was the year of the Poetry Community. Both online and off there is so much flourishing, wonderful, inspiring new poetry that I can't believe my ears/eyes. From the annual poetry festival to the Stroll of Poets and other writing groups there has been so much great support here in Edmonton that I started to expand and see with the Internet(s) had to offer - to my excitement, there was a lot there too!

From my own creative challenge in October with Poe-a-Tweets and then jumping on board with the Poem A Day challenge in November I found so many great sites and forums and other e-poets that I was nothing short of thankful!
For instance there's Poetry Potluck (Mondays) on Jingle Poetry,
One Shot Wednesday at One Shot Poetry,  &
PoeticMindset.
Then the fabulous Tweeting Poets of which there are no shortage - in the most positive sense of the word.
Here are just seven great examples who I follow: Semaphore, Shashi, Pete Marshall, Leslie Moon, Theron Kennedy, Jem & Adam Dustus but try searching #poem, #poet or #poetry any hour of the day on Twitter and you're bound to find other great additions!

I think this is the first time that I felt a common bond in an online community and am quite excited to continue this adventure. I think the best part was that it was so well aligned to the discovery of the 'real-life' poetry scene & having them be so welcoming too!

Thanks Poetry! You made my 2010 way more share-y & fun. And the next time someone says poetry isn't a living, flourishing art form... I'll show them!

Saturday, December 18

Appreciate (December 14)

..still catching up... the list of stupendous Reverb 10 Prompts still inspires me to reflect and write more about 2010.
for December 14th the was prompt: Appreciate – What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

Of all the things I have to be grateful for, in 2010 I have realized how much I value a certain type of person... people who are on the same wavelength!
This does not mean agreeing or having the same interests on everything, no. However, that can be rather amusing and worth appreciating if it's for the long-term benefit of a hilarious situation. But for me it is more about people who are willing to be themselves, genuine and open but respectful of themselves and others. I have been so terribly lucky to find these people all over the place in 2010. Sometimes just out of the blue and other times like socks hidden in the back of a drawer – and when I am around these people it feels much easier to be myself, to enjoy life and to be grateful.

I was given the most insightful, simplest way to show my appreciation for these people: tell them. One of these very people made it a point, in 2009, to ask only for birthday acknowledgement was to encourage all his friends to tell the people who are important in one’s life just how much they mean to you. I called three dear people in my life (perhaps three because I am an overachiever or just love sharing good vibes). I explained this friend’s birthday wish. I thanked them for being the wonderful, loving, same-wavelength-dwelling people that they are to me.

That simple gift (more to me than anyone) became extraordinarily meaningful to me in the wake of one of these dear people suddenly passing away that same year. Thus, this expression of gratitude for the supportive, inspiring and genuine people I meet has become a regular practice in my life and I am eternally grateful for it.

Thursday, December 16

Reverb Prompts 2010

I am SO excited about this! A sweet site called Reverb  is hosting this online creative challenge to reflect on the past year and manifest the next. I love the idea of people engaging in this kind of thing so am pumped to have found out about it... even though I'm starting on Day 16. Oh well- maybe I'll have to do two a day...

So if you'd like to join in - www.reverb10.com/the-prompts - it'll be wonderous!

(p.s. this may will very well slow down the In Response creative challenge... I'll manifest that for a month of next year.)

Tuesday, November 30

30/30

Month of Gratitude

November inspired
thirty poems for me; a gift
single frozen tear


LyndiaP November 30, 2010 (PoemADay Challenge 30 of 30*)

*which was SO much FUN!

Tuesday, November 9

Watching

Recovery Sunrise
for my Dad*


my pen it prays for gratitude

while dawn is drawn and calls awake

my heart, in an emphatic mood,

to noble words when there's a stake.



The light still waits



So pen with ink for blood and food

silent invocation make.

Oh heart with intercessor's attitude

become the role for grandest sake...



in light I wait.




LyndiaP November 9, 2010

(*and for OneShotWednesday 19 & PoemADay 9 of 30)

Saturday, November 6

For You

For You

A person
selfless person
who's real and thoughtful and true.
Tells a person
a me-like person
that they'll help make it through.
Then that person
genuine person

draws a map
holds the lamp
shuts the trap
licks the stamp
shares the glory
co-authors the story...

and then thanks ME
for all my trouble
(which I remark was "zero")
Pour tea, another mug full,
and hand it to my hero.



Sincerely LyndiaP Nov. 6, 2010
(PoemADay #6 of 30)