#OneWord365

My 2015: The Year Of The Recluse

/ Ally Bean / 26 Comments

Screen Shot 2015-01-15 at 7.56.43 AM

Looking at the calendar today it occurs to me that I have been remiss in not sharing with you, my gentle readers, my resolutions revolutions one word goals dreams aspirations vague ideas simple plan for the new year, 2015.

Clearly I need to get more scoot in my get-along.

[The preceding phrase is one that I don’t normally use, but I heard a football color commentator use it when talking about some player doing something, so I decided to add it to my folksy phrases repertoire.]

[Yes, I have an actual list of folksy phrases that I started about 10 years ago.  I recently rediscovered it when I took it upon myself to sort through the stuff in my desk.  Trust me, I will be referring to said list often now that I have found it.]

So here is what I’ve decided that this year will be all about for me.  I’m going to be a recluse, defined thusly as: “a person who lives a solitary life and tends to avoid other people.”

Not exactly anti-social, but non-social.  ‘Ya know?

And sometime throughout the year I might even explain why I’ve come to this decision.  But for today all I’m going to say is that I’m comfortable with the idea of spending more time by myself while pursuing my particular interests– like finding & using folksy phrases!  😉

Apparently A Bean Brain Is A Balanced One

/ Ally Bean / 19 Comments

balanced brain

I took The 30-Second Brain Test to determine which side of my brain I favored.  The results showed that I use both sides of my brain [what the results described as] equally.

I’m 59%:

  • strategy
  • rationality
  • logic
  • rules
  • language
  • details

I’m 41%:

  • creativity
  • intuition
  • chaos
  • curiosity
  • images
  • fantasy

What I liked the best about this test was that after I received my results there was an option to learn why the test evaluated my answer to each question the way that it did.  In other words, I learned something about how all people see the world in the process of understanding myself.  Neat-o, I say.

While I hesitate to draw any overarching conclusions about who I am from this test, I’m willing to say that it was fun to take.  And considering that my word of the year this year is BALANCE, I’m pleased with my results.

If any of you, my gentle readers, decide to take the test, I’d love to know your results.  I mean, exactly how whacked are you all?  My comment section awaits you.

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

/ 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.

This Year I’m Going To…

/ Ally Bean / 6 Comments

I find that I’m constitutionally incapable of making life altering, deeply personal resolutions when the weather is cold outside and the trees are bare.  I need to leave the specifics of resolutions for the summer months when my mind has a more can do attitude.  In my worldview, warm weather is for thriving and taking on new goals;  cold weather is for surviving and maintaining the status quo.

So instead of resolving at the beginning of each year, I’ve taken to picking one word as my guiding principle for the upcoming year.  I never over think the word that I pick.  I just ask myself a question such as: what do I need to do differently this year to feel more alive?  Then I let my new word float into my mind.  In its own good time.  Very Zen.

And what word finally floated into my addled brain about one week after it should have arrived?  Glad that you asked.  This year my one word is:  NURTURE.