Remember Your Spirit

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.

Take Joy

/ Ally Bean / 16 Comments

The holidays are almost upon us.  Things to do.  Places to go.  People to meet.

Because Z-D & I will be sort of busy and because I’m sort of tired of writing here, I’ve decided to put my blog on hold until after the beginning of next year.  A short break from blogging sounds like a good idea to me right now.

But before I go, gentle readers, I’ll leave you with this charming video about– well… kindness, curiosity & joy.  “Oskar, what did you do?”

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~ Happy Holidays Everyone ~

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Know Thyself– And Continue On Anyway

/ Ally Bean / 15 Comments

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I remember taking an online quiz about narcissism.  It was a serious one, not one of those silly quizzes with results that tell you nothing about yourself.

The quiz that I took involved lots of question, none of which I remember– and then a nifty summation about your personality at the end.  The scale of the results of the quiz went from 1 to 30.  One was someone like a cloistered nun, and thirty was someone like a movie star or national politician.  Most people in the USA scored around 20.

I got a 6.  That was about as low as a person who was not part of a conservative religious community could get.

At the time I was concerned that I scored so low, but had to admit that I’m just kind of who I am— which would not be the mind-set of a person who is suffering from extreme narcissism.

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I’d forgotten all about that quiz until last night when I was thinking about what I’ve learned from this NaBloPoMo project.  I agree that I am a bit more disciplined in my writing now.  But I’ve earned a B.A. in English Lit & a M.A. in Communication so I’ve already proved to myself and to the world that I can do that when need be.  And I agree that I’ve found new ways to discover other bloggers.  But searching for other people online is not really a calling for me.

In reality, I think what I’ve learned is that for me the stress of this project has been trying to convince myself that I want to focus on me every day.  And considering my innate personality type, this is no surprise.

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I’ve continued through to the end of the month and I’ve done my best.  It’s good to challenge yourself once in a while.  But I can say that I now completely understand why Deb on the Rocks referred to this as “glorious madness.”  Because it is.

Thanks for keeping up with me, gentle readers.  I appreciate your attention & your comments & your suggestions about what I should write about next.  It has helped me more than you can imagine.

But as of today I shall return to being the casual blogger who posts when I have something to say— whenever I feel like it– when I’m in the mood.

You know, like the free spirit that I am.

Later, kids!

Late Autumn

/ Ally Bean / 9 Comments

Over the course of this last week the colors have changed around here.

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There are a few last shots of color here and there.  God bless red roses.  I try to memorize the color so that during the bleak months I can remember it– and keep my spirit alive.  Do you do this too?

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This is what is left of our Happy Returns Daylilies.  I love these plants.  In the summer their lemony yellow flowers make me smile.  And now they remind me to have faith in the process.  Bright colors will return again.  Yes?

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The water on the glass-top green-rimmed table is doing a great job of revealing the bleakness of the woods beyond.  I love reflections.  What is real and what is imagined?

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And then there is the woods back of the house.  The leaves on the trees are all down now.  I like how easy it is to see the grayish brown trunks of the trees.  Very visual and organic.  There are no straight lines in nature, eh?