by Kat | Apr 28, 2020 | General, Words
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen Hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is. — Mary Anne Radmacher
When I started this journey to be more intentional, I had no idea that Mary Anne Radmacher’s quote would stay with me in my journey. Yet, it is – and this month I found her words to Practice wellness and Appreciate your friends were just what I needed in Stay at Home Life.
And so, I have spent the month practicing wellness by staying home.
April 7, I began stitching my 100 Day Project. I had spent much of January and February plotting and planning out what I wanted this project to be. I started off eagerly; excited each day to sit with my stitching. One edge was completed, and some niggling worries began to creep in. What if it doesn’t work out like I planned? A couple of days the uneasiness – the uncertainty – kept me from stitching. I spent some time with that uncertainty and discovered that it was not the stitching, but my inner nay-saying voice creeping in. The answer for me was not to argue with that voice, but to tell myself that even if it does not “turn out” it will be okay…and believe it, and intentionally ignore that nay-saying voice.
About mid-month I noticed some significant changes in my life.
My meditation time became easier. I found I did not need to set a time to “stay” meditating. Rather, I welcomed the silence, the breathing, and especially the listening! Being comfortable with the stillness and just listening has been so helpful in these stressful days.
I joined Katie in her Reading Through the Gospels Lenten Journey and at the end of Lent, I just kept going. Kym sent me a wonderful little Intention Journal and I am filling it with notes as I read.
And that brings me to my next focus of the month… my friends. That number includes all of you, Gentle Readers! From your comments, your suggestions, your kindnesses – You make my days better and my life is so much richer because of you! Thank you!
My local Knit Group’s weekly Zoom Meetings have become a thing that I anticipate with great joy. We laugh, we bitch, we share. I did not imagine these women would become such a vital part of my week… but they have, and I am better because of them!
I guess all this means that I have somehow found the path again, and I am profoundly grateful that I have!
I am very happy that Honoré hosts us each month! Please, head over here to see a round up of word updates!
You can see my Intentional Journey here.
by Kat | Mar 31, 2020 | General, Words
Live with intention. Walk to the edge. Listen Hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is. — Mary Anne Radmacher
Oh boy, can you say Intention Derailment? I feel like I am living on the edge.
Stuck on that dammed edge, wishing like hell that I could go back to last years word… to pick it up and wrap it around me because I really need something familiar right now. Something easy.
And then I read this:
Whenever something bad happens, keep calm, take a few deep breaths and shift the focus to something positive. — Roy T. Bennett
Yep, that is where I am right now… trying to stay calm, trying to breathe, and unsuccessfully seeking anything positive.
If this was all just about me only…I think I’d be fine with little or no hiccups in my day. But every day there seems to be some new thing to be concerned about for those I love (specifically my kids) and, honestly, it is damned hard to “put on a happy face” or find something positive.
But I have discovered that even small breaths are good. And faking calm works in a pinch – or at least for the duration of a phone call, then all bets are off.
And silent tears sometimes are the most positive thing in a day.
And that is all I’ve got.
Now, please go visit Honoré and see what everyone else has!
You can see my Intentional Journey here.
by Kat | Feb 25, 2020 | General, Words
Live with Intention. Walk to the edge. Listen Hard. Practice wellness. Play with abandon. Laugh. Choose with no regret. Appreciate your friends. Continue to learn. Do what you love. Live as if this is all there is. – Mary Anne Radmacher
It turns out that January’s fumbled start was just what I needed to stop and consider what intention can mean for my life. And February brought lots of thoughts and even some ideas and before I knew it, being intentional slowly began to take root in my days.
One thing I wanted to be more intentional about this year was my reading. I really needed to give myself permission to slow down and savor a story versus being a perpetual participant in the Reading Race. And wow, this has been a surprisingly delightful thing. Part of that slowing down and savoring process has included writing brief reviews/thoughts on the books I have finished. I am taking time from when I finish a book to when I write the review – time in which I am processing the story, thinking about what I liked, what stayed with me, and what about this book makes me want to tell someone they need to read it (or not as the case might be).
The other part of my intentional reading includes reading more poetry. I know very little about poetry outside a few poems that my grandpa eagerly shared with me. He loved poetry and had so many poems memorized and it was amazing to hear him talk about them. But my poetry knowledge leaves much to be desired so this year my goal is to read a book of poetry each month. I never realized what I was missing by not reading poetry, but the journey thus far has been both eye and mind-opening!
The other facet of my life is making, and it is clear to me that I need to be be intentional in my making (as well as my reading!) I spent some time going through “in process” projects and a good number of them were unraveled. It felt so good to reclaim those needles and my “yes, I really want to make this” list is now manageable. I realized that making is not a race – I love the process of knitting. But, honestly…how many more sweaters, scarves, hats, etc. do I need?
I have been slowly going through my wardrobe with some intention as well and as a result I have more things that will be leaving which makes it easier to see “holes” that need to be plugged. Once I have completed this “clean out” I will have a list of things that I will work on making as the year progresses. Intentional making is a very good thing!
One thing I have been truly been missing is some kind of daily stitching – but again, I don’t really need or want to do twelve more months of stitching projects. However, a somewhat planned 100 Day Project might be just the thing and I have begun sketching out some ideas of what/where/how I’d like to create this textile. I’d like this to fall somewhere in between “play with abandon” and “continue to learn” or perhaps both!
I am joining Honoré and friends as we explore our words together! Stop by and see how everyone did!
Photo by Nubia Navarro (nubikini) from Pexels
by Kat | Jan 28, 2020 | General, Words
I am joining Honoré and friends today to share my start with my word for 2020:
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. — Frederick Douglass
I foolishly assumed that my focus of 2019 would just flow seamlessly into my intentional start to January.
Key word there… foolishly.
Because for as brilliant as focus was, my intentional start was, well, rather rocky. Uncomfortable. Awkward. Unsettled.
I even had some moments when I considered picking a different word!
But I persevered and have settled in with my discomfort – sort of. The wisdom from Frederick Douglass has become my mantra:
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
So, I don’t have much to share this month outside of this messy, unproductive start.
However, I am immersed in the struggle and live in the hope that progress will soon be visible!
Did you pick a word for 2020? How has your start been?
by Kat | Dec 31, 2019 | General, Words
Intentional living is the art of making our own choices before others’ choices make us. — Richie Norton
As you all know, my word for 2019 – focus – made a huge impact on my life. I do not want to lose that in 2020, so I spent a good bit of time thinking about where I wanted to go.
Words like purpose and intention kept turning up in the most curious ways. I spent some time “trying on” these words and as I began to plan where I wanted to go in 2020, it became clear that intentional was the path I wanted to travel.
Miriam-Webster defines intentional as something “done by intention or design.”
I have spent a year honing my focus and I have some good habits to show for it! This year I plan to be more intentional in all things…making, reading, and yes… living! And I am very excited to embark on this new journey – a journey of my own making!
Finally, I would like to take a moment to thank Juliann for her brilliant hosting this year! Without her initiative, I am not sure that I would have had as much success this year as I did!
What about you? Did you choose a word for 2020? Please join Honoré and share your word!
Photo by Nubia Navarro (nubikini) from Pexels
