I am joining Honoré today and sharing my Little Word update for the month!
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 am positive that this was not the word I should have picked for 2020 because here we are closing out May, and my struggle with intention continues. This was absolutely not what I ever imagined when I settled in with a word for 2020 late last year.
Words like uncertainty, circumspect, and home-body seem like they might have been better word choices, but I am not a quitter – so onward with intention!
But Mary Anne Radmacher’s quote still beckons and this month Choose with no regret has become my daily mantra. And sometimes I was even successful!
- All month long as areas began to “open up” I confidently elected to stay home.
- We have a Primary Election next week so I applied for a mail in ballot… and sent it in.
- I trimmed my hair.
- I have not yet given myself a pedicure, but I have been using this delightful scrub regularly accompanied by a foot massage!
- I wrote more, thought more, and read more.
- I had long (and frequent) conversations with my kids…perhaps talking longer than we would in person!
- I spent time knitting (of course) and practicing my meager crochet skills.
- I wrote down little bits of gratitude every day, even when it was hard.
- I also found myself back in the circle of grief, visiting stages I thought I was done with.
Choose with no regret was absolutely what I needed this month.
You can see my Intentional Journey here.
I think your word was a good choice, in spite of or even because the pandemic. We couldn’t have planned for this and we can’t do much to solve it, but what we can control is our reaction to how our lives are changing. You are being intentional in how you respond. You are taking actions to keep yourself safe and healthy (physically and emotionally). You are being kind to yourself when things get hard. You are practicing routines that help to keep you grounded and centered. So keep it up, Kat!
Kat, it sounds like you had an intentional month in some very meaningful ways (and my flip-flop & sandal-wearing feet could use some of that attention…thanks for the scrub link!). Last night, possible words for next year kept popping into my head…and I tried to bat them down like that Whack-a-Mole arcade game, because they’re kind of a tease…good for you for embracing Intention despite the challenge.
‘Choose with no regret’ is POWERFUL–what a mantra! For anyone, no matter their word.
Oh, I think it was a perfect word, Kat. I learned a lot when “intention” was my word last year . . . and the biggest takeaway for me was that you can “intend” all you want, but you also need to accept that reality is going to bump right up against the best of your intentions — and it’s what you do THEN that your intentions really shine through!
These words can teach us a lot about living – and about ourselves. It sounds like you’re on a good path – and choosing your way through a hazardous time in a very intentional way.
I really like that quote, and choose with no regret certainly speaks to intention. Your choices all sound like good ones to me, especially the staying home and talking longer to your kids. I just finished a 90-minute phone call with Ryan, and even though we both apologized for not really having anything new and exciting to talk about, it was a great conversation. I’m with Sarah, keep doing what you’re doing, Kat!
You definitely seem to be on the right path Kat. Love the quote and choosing with no regret are perfect words for EVERYONE!!! so thankful we did the mail-in (or in our case drop-off) ballot this year. I may go that way every election!
Kat, you’ve found so many ways to live intentionally, despite how out-of-control everything is. I’m glad you were able to vote in a safe way. And I’m glad you’ve been able to find something to be grateful for every day; it makes such a difference. I hope June brings you more joy!
(ps – thanks for the link to the scrub. It looks divine!)
I think your struggle with “intention” shows that it was actually the perfect word for you to pick for this year. Lots of your activities this month look pretty darn intentional to me. Thank you for sharing the scrub recommendation. I must try it. My feet thank you!
I think the words that we struggle with are the ones that we need the most and help us to grow the most, too. That’s how I’m seeing your journey with intention and mine with open.
I think you’re doing marvelously on intentions. Nothing like a pandemic putting a wrench in one’s goals 🙂 I try to focus on the positive and I am only TRULY miserable when I wear a mask and feel like I can’t breathe. Today I think I found the balance of looseness and not fogging up my glasses and I hope I can repeat it again the next time I’m out.
I think all of this sounds VERY intentional! I do love coming late and reading the comments. Carole’s rings true!