A lot of time has passed since I posted here. For a while blogging was at least a semi-regular practice for me, but lately it's been far more semi than regular. I now feel it’s important for me to pick it back it up,
so I'm acting on one of my goals for the new year- writing daily (although not necessarily posting something every day).
2016 was a bruising year for the world, and for the nation of which I'm a part, for many of my friends, and in some ways for me.
Physically/health-wise it held moments of personal bruising and hardship due to
me being diagnosed with achalasia, a condition that affects the esophagus' ability to function properly (I had the feeling in late ’15 that some kind of challenge was in front of me). But, achalasia also reminded me of the opportunity I’ve always had
to regain and maintain my health and fitness. And so I have. I’m now 57 pounds lighter than I was this time last year, and 90 pounds lighter than I
was in the summer of 2009. I work out 6 days a week, I’m as lean as I was in
college (if not a bit leaner), I’m strong, energetic, and frankly, have a renewed sense of both confidence and thankfulness.
Health and fitness were 2 major themes for me in 2016. At the beginning of 2017, some new themes are coming to me. The very negative election season our country has just been through is one of the factors that have contibuted to the U.S. cultural climate being filled with fear and anger. I feel strongly I am to be a voice of
calm, reason, and hope this year. Far less argument, far more dialogue,
listening, encouragement, and both giving and receiving wisdom.
A few days ago a friend of mine posted that she had chosen a
word for the year, both one for herself and one for her family. I’ve thought
about what a word for me for this year should be, and this is what has come to
me (2 words, actually)…Build It.
“Build it” means the continual building of my personhood,
every aspect of it. The phrase pertains to bringing greater strength and depth
to my relationships. It also focuses on building strength and sustainability
for the organization I lead, Second Life of Chattanooga. And, it focuses on building an additional platform of non-Second Life speaking engagements, as well as rebooting the consulting, and coaching work I've done in the past. And, having been given the opportunity to do voiceover work in 2016, I'm looking to build on that as well. Plus, I have two other things on which I'm currently working, but details on those are for a later time.
In 2016 I lost a lot of weight and much of the thinking and practices that led to
the weight gain in the first place. This was needed in and of itself, but (as usual) I
believe it was also a metaphor for attitudes and practices that needed to be lost,
gotten rid of. 2017 is about adding new things or bringing back/awakening things
that have been absent/dormant from me/within me for a while. Whether these
things need to be built from scratch, re-built, or remodeled, I believe that
“Build It” best describes the opportunity and calling the new year presents to
me.
So, what word/phrase describes the opportunity of this new year for you?
So, what word/phrase describes the opportunity of this new year for you?
1 comment:
I have been thinking about that exact question for several days. I believe my word is intimacy. Intimacy with God first as well as others and letting everything in my life flow out of that fountain. Looking forward to seeing what you build this year!
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