by Kat | Jan 25, 2021 | General, Words
A New Year, a new word, a new day, and a new home for our monthly link up! I am excited to join Carolyn as she hosts us this year!
January word studies might be one of my favorite things. Digging into a word, looking at all the possibilities, releasing any preconceived ideas I might of had…it’s so much fun.
Carolyn opened my eyes to looking at the root word of my word… something I had never even thought of doing in words past. I looked up release and I loved what I learned:
release (v.)
c. 1300, “to withdraw, revoke (a decree, etc.), cancel, lift; remit,” from Old French relaissier, relesser “to relinquish, quit, let go, leave behind, abandon, acquit,” variant of relacher “release, relax,” from Latin relaxare “loosen, stretch out” (from re- “back” (see re-) + laxare “loosen,” from PIE root *sleg- “be slack, be languid”). Latin relaxare is the source also of Spanish relajar, Italian relassare.
c. 1300, “to withdraw, revoke (a decree, etc.), cancel, lift; remit,” from Old French relaissier, relesser “to relinquish, quit, let go, leave behind, abandon, acquit,” variant of relacher “release, relax,” from Latin relaxare “loosen, stretch out” (from re- “back” (see re-) + laxare “loosen,” from PIE root *sleg- “be slack, be languid”). Latin relaxare is the source also of Spanish relajar, Italian relassare.
release (n.)
early 14c., “abatement of distress; means of deliverance,” from Old French relais, reles (12c.), a back-formation from relesser, relaissier (see release (v.)). In law, mid-14c., “transferring of property or a right to another;” late 14c. as “release from an obligation; remission of a duty, tribute, etc.” Meaning “act and manner of releasing” (a bow, etc.) is from 1871. Sense of “action of publication” is from 1907.
Yes, there is so much that I want to pick out… cancel, lift, relinquish, quit, let go, leave behind, abatement from distress, and yes, transferring of property to another! And that is where I began this month, spurred on by this quote:
Literal cleanliness and orderliness can release us from abstract cognitive and affective distress – just consider how, during moments where life seems to be spiraling out of control, it can be calming to organize your clothes, clean the living room, get the car washed. — Robert Sapolsky
So this month I have spent sorting and thinking. And while I still have more to do, the process of emptying closets, drawers, and bins has been cathartic. Contemplating, cleaning out, and yes, releasing. Some things have been tossed and it felt so good! Some things will go to someone else…that sock post that so struck me… well, I have a stack of things that will be heading there shortly.
And some things… well, they just need a bit more thought. And that is okay, too!
Midway though the month it occurred to me that my house does not have a storage problem, I have a “things” problem. And so this month release seemed easy. It was freeing. And in doing some organizing, I freed my mind to begin to contemplate the hard work of release I have only just begun.
Again, thank you Carolyn for hosting us! See you all on Wednesday for some Unraveling!
by Kat | Jan 4, 2021 | General, In This Moment
Happy First Monday in January! There might be a wee bit of excitement in my house this morning as Steve returns to his “usual schedule” this week…whew! LOL
My day is full of so many things from laundry to Undecorating to OLW contemplation… a truly varied list. I am hoping that laundry becomes less “mundane” when paired with OLW contemplation.
This short poem that I listened to yesterday was so full! It is going to be my guide for a January of quiet contemplation. I hope you find something in these words to help your January get off to a very good start! See you all back here on Wednesday for some “first finishes” of the New Year!
Winter Is the Best Time
by David Budbill
Winter is the best time
to find out who you are.
Quiet, contemplation time,
away from the rushing world,
cold time, dark time, holed-up
pulled-in time and space
to see that inner landscape,
that place hidden and within.
David Budbill, “Winter Is the Best Time” from While We’ve Still Got Feet. © 2015 by David Budbill.
by Kat | Dec 29, 2020 | General, Words
I am joining Honoré to close out my word of 2020.
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
This quote has served me very well this year… today, I am not sure if I picked it, or if it picked me. But these words became so important each day of this year. I almost gave up on this word early on in Pandemic Days, but I am glad that I stuck with it and finally stopped fighting it long enough to truly learn something.
December I purposefully lived with intention every single day. And my days included bits of all of Mary Anne’s advice! I listened. I practiced wellness. I played with abandon (thank you AC for really helping in this category! lol) I laughed… so much. I learned some new things this month and as a result knit the best fitting sock I have ever knit!
Perhaps December is the easiest month to “do what you love” but I really leaned in to the joys of this season. I sang along with all the Christmas songs. I nurtured my inner child and watched The Grinch (both the Boris Karloff and the Jim Carrey versions!)
I savored every phone call… the ones full of laughter, the ones full of uncertainty, and the ones full of frustration and tears… and instead of wishing things were different right now, I practiced living as if this is all there is. And while I have always understood that this is living – it somehow clicked in a different way this month. And I realized that those parts… well they are the parts that walk you to the edge. It is not about living dangerously, but rather living fully. I don’t think I would have even begun to grasp that concept in a “normal year” because I think this was the year for truly learning about being intentional and making it part of my life… an integral part.
But the question I have been thinking about for longer than December is where do I go from here. I started this word journey sort of haphazardly. No thought went into the first couple of words. My first word in 2016 was Gratitude (yet I could find no blog posts at all showing that I even spent any time at all learning anything about gratitude) and then in 2017 I spent the year with Joy. There are a couple of posts about that, but still no thought about why I might pick joy. And so, because I just really did not “get” the impact a word could have, I did not pick a word in 2018. However, as the year moved on something curious began to happen. A word started showing up (or maybe I just started paying attention) there were some inspirational emails that talked about it, and there were so many quotes! So I started 2019 with a new word Focus! It was a glorious year. I learned so much. I grew so much. It was exactly what I needed.
Intentional living came to me much the same way… inspirational emails, passages in books, and my focus led me there. So where will Intentional Living lead me? Two words kept circling round my brain – authenticity and vulnerability. They seemed to be the right next step, but something just felt off about both of them. The more I spent time with those words… pondering them… the more unsettled I became. And in November the big answer came for me. Yes those are simply brilliant words and likely a lovely step from Intentional Living, but I knew that there was some heavy work I had to do before I could get to those words. And that heavy work… well, it’s all about release…
release [ ri-lees ] noun a freeing or releasing from confinement, obligation, pain, emotional strain, etc.
Just the thing I have been avoiding my entire life. I am not sure how much of this journey I want to share here, but my hope is to share the process of realease rather than the things being released. And of all people, Goldie Hawn’s words of wisdom will give me some guidance.
“If we can just let go and trust that things will work out the way they’re supposed to, without trying to control the outcome, then we can begin to enjoy the moment more fully. The joy of the freedom it brings becomes more pleasurable than the experience itself.” ― Goldie Hawn
I hope you will continue follow along on this journey to see where it takes me!
Finally, I would like to thank Honoré for hosting us this year!
You can see all of my Intentional Journey here.
by Kat | Dec 1, 2020 | General, Words
I am joining Honoré again this month to share an update on my word.
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
I think I have finally gotten to the part of my word where I have finally “given in” and accepted that this word and this year were just the most challenging companions. Ever.
I had thought that my 37th year was the most challenging year ever (even without a word). I thought I’d never beat a year of Christmas Pleurisy, three wee children getting tonsillectomies (at.the.same.time), the same three children getting chicken pox (again at.the.same.time), and a Thanksgiving Eve Emergency Hysterectomy, just because. But looking back… I think that year was much easier.
November showed me how to “live as if this is all there is” though… I will give it that. And in doing that, I learned about things I don’t need to “live as if this is all there is.” Lots of things. Material things and abstract things. Things I should have physically and emotionally Kon-Mari’d long ago (especially the emotional things!)
Physical Kon-Mari is much easier than Emotional Kon-Mari, trust me. Those emotional things? Well, I did not hang on to them in case they might start “sparking joy”!! I hung on to them because being the martyr gives one a non-starter…that powerful you can never beat this chip!
However, nine long months of Pandemic Life means that eventually, you have used all the cards, every last chip and you have to open a new deck. November was open the new deck month for me. I started the arduous process of letting go of things that I have been carrying far too long, especially in Pandemic Life! So I stand here today finally realizing, after months of avoidance, lots of things I don’t need! And in doing so, I began to see exactly what I do need and that perhaps, is what Intentional Living is all about.
I also spent some time contemplating my “Word Journey” and a couple of words keep showing up and they bring some very curious possibilities. (Maybe not ones I am ready for… oh boy, lol)
So where do I go from here to close out my year? Well, my goal is that at the end of this month I will be able to share that I managed to do all of Mary Ann Radmacher’s quote (maybe not all at the same time, lol) And I think December is JUST the month to attempt that!
How about you? Did you and your word have a good month? Are you thinking about a word for next year? I want to know!
You can see all of my Intentional Journey here.
by Kat | Oct 27, 2020 | General, Words
I am joining Honoré again this month to share an update on my word.
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
October taught me that sometimes in order to practice wellness, one must become adept at diligently avoiding some things. Most days the avoidance list included the internet, cable news, and the some topics of conversation!
October refined my ability to be silent and if that was not possible…well I am honing my change the topic of conversation skills!
Sometimes the thing I was trying to avoid was me…Okay, maybe not me so much as avoiding living in my head too much. Too much time over-thinking and worrying are not things to do if you are trying to practice wellness! Thank goodness for meditation which really helps me break the chain of worry. My typical practice has been to meditate in the morning while I sip my coffee but September showed me that once a day was really not enough so I have added more meditation time in my day, which has been tremendously helpful. I am also finding that the process of writing my worries/struggles/heartaches down means I don’t have to dwell on them. It is a learning process and as the month progressed, I found it easier to do. And while it is not perfect, it is helping.
What about you? How did your word show up for you?
You can see all of my Intentional Journey here.
