In Which I Decide On A Word Of The Year. Finally.

January 5, 2013February 11, 2016 / Ally Bean / 18 Comments

I’ve been a laggard about choosing my one word of the year. This is because I’ve found myself caught up in the hype of picking the perfect word. A word that has a large overarching theme. A word that is unique, yet applicable to all facets of my life. A word that will make me kick ass in 2013.

I don’t know why it is that this year I got thinking like this, but I did. Even talking about it here I have to laugh at myself. I guess all I can tell you is that the gods of external validation invaded my brain and brought various forms of doubt with them. Hence, my inability to pick a word.

However, that is all behind me now. You see, I had a serious chat with myself and managed to decide on a word that I think will satisfy both my pragmatic thinking side and my holistic feeling side. The conversation, which may or may not have been out loud, went something like this:

Pragmatic Ally: It’s just a word, Ms. Bean. Get over yourself and pick one.

Holistic Ally: But I don’t know, for sure, if I’ll pick the best one. I need a sign of some sort so I’ll know that it is the. right. word.

Pragmatic Ally: Just do it. There’s your sign. Nike said so.

Holistic Ally: Okay, fine. Balance. I pick BALANCE. Like in New Balance. Which I like much better than Nike with their stupid swoosh.

Pragmatic Ally: Great choice. Well done. Now get out there and kick some ass!

Holistic Ally: But I don’t know how. How do ‘ya do that?

Pragmatic Ally: *sigh* Do I have to do everything for you? You start where you are right now, do your best and see where it goes. That’s how you do it.

Holistic Ally: Oh yeah. That’d work. Good idea. Thanks.

Pragmatic Ally: No problem.

… And so it came to be that my one word for 2013 will be BALANCE.

An Inconvenient Blogging Truth

January 3, 2013August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 16 Comments

When I started keeping a personal blog I realized that I’d have to find the time to write. Mornings work best for me.

And I also knew that I’d have to have the ability to express myself in this medium. Stories, photos [not of people] and links work best for me.

But what did not occur to me was that I’d also have to have something to write about all the time. That is, something would have to happen in my life that I’d want to tell you about. Something interesting, or insightful, or entertaining.

And it is at this point in the process that I find myself today. At a point where there is nothing to talk about.

It’s not as if I’m not doing things. I am. It’s just that I cannot fathom why anyone would care to read about the ho-humness of my daily life. A ho-humness, I hasten to add, that makes me happy.

So, having explained myself thusly, I’ll end this post by leaving you, my gentle readers, with a guarantee that when something of note happens in my life, I’ll share it here.

And I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes that succinctly explains my attitude toward blogging– and life, too, for that matter.

“Give me your heart, Make it real, Or else forget about it.”

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NaBloPoMo: 10 Things About It For Which I’m Grateful + 3 Other Points

November 29, 2012August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 18 Comments

It reminded me of why I don’t do a daily blog anymore. Too. Much. Sitting. Still.
It allowed me to meet some new-to-me bloggers who were doing this challenge, too.
It made me realize how small my world was before the internet– back when geography and genetics were my only links to people.
It encouraged some of my lurkers to reveal themselves with a like or a comment.
It got me laughing at myself & others as we struggled to do this challenge.
It confirmed that posting on Sunday is never worth it for me. I hate doing it & my readers don’t do Sunday blogging.
It gave me the opportunity to write some new types of posts. For better or for worse.
It showed me that despite my disinclination to use YouTube videos in my posts, doing so was well-received.
It provided me with a space to share some of my photos that I’d have never posted otherwise.
It forced me to re-evaluate whether blogging is worth the bother. My conclusion? It is… when done no more than three days per week.

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1. I have to wonder if November is the best time of year for NaBloPoMo. I understand the history of this challenge so I get why it’s in November. But honestly, November is filled with lots of other things to do, often involving travel, that make it extra difficult to finish NaBloPoMo.

Instead, I’d like to nominate February as the official NaBloPoMo month. It’s a short month– with a good heart— typically filled with fewer distractions than November.

2. I found this year’s NaBloPoMo blogroll to be frustrating. As I have done in past years, I intended to use it to find new bloggers. However, when I clicked on many of the links, I discovered the blogger had done nothing– or only posted a couple of days.

I realize that NaBloPoMo uses the honor system, but couldn’t someone at Blogher go through the blogroll at least once and weed out the faux participants? I, for one, would appreciate it.

3. I saw quite a few bloggers just do this challenge without signing up. I joined NaBloPoMo officially because I had hoped that by signing up on Blogher I’d get encouragement from & interaction with lots of other bloggers within that forum. But that didn’t happen [see points 1 & 2 above] which left me feeling somewhat alone while doing NaBloPoMo.

If I ever do this challenge again, I’m going to embrace my natural inclination to not conform just because I’m supposed to and follow the lead of those who refuse to belong– where ironically this year I found bloggers who were the most supportive of my efforts.

Please & Thank You

November 23, 2012August 28, 2018 / Ally Bean / 12 Comments

Thank You is the bookend to Please. Much happens in-between the two.

Please is a Magic Word. I know that because when I was a girl in Brownies we were made to write all sorts of pithy advice on some paper keys. Then all the various keys were tied together with a piece of yarn.

Of course, one of the other keys reminded us to: Always Say Thank You. Be grateful, appreciative. Express this sentiment loudly and often.

Funny how often times in today’s world people do not say thank you. I think this is a shame because if no one says “thank you” to you, then how are you going to say “you’re welcome” back to him or her?

Heaven knows that this world would run more smoothly if everyone, everywhere was a bit more welcoming– and a bit less judgmental.

Is this not so? I thank you to think about this.

And to be grateful for those people who still know how to say “thank you.”

{ This is a writing exercise hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker, aka Gypsy Mama. To read more about it, click on the button below. Perhaps you’d like to join in, too. }