My 2017 Intention: STRETCH

 The intention I've chosen for this year is STRETCH.  

This year I want to stretch myself and my horizons.  I'm not exactly sure what this is going to look like day-to-day (ah, the beauty of an intention vs. resolution) but some things I've considered are:

• reading books outside of my normal easy reading, fiction genre
• trying new recipes
• being more open and vulnerable with those I love
• allowing myself more grace and personal empathy to set realistic expectations and to fail
• giving my kids more independence in making and executing their own decisions

One thing that I've come to think about with regard to STRETCH is that, inherent in stretching, is returning to the beginning point.  You can't hold a stretch continuously.  Rather, in order to grow and become more "flexible" it is necessary to relax the stretch and return to your starting point, hopefully incrementally different from your true zero point but still balanced and grounded and ready to reach out again.

I'm ready to reach out!

Starting 2017: Resolutions or Intentions

​The dawn of a new year. Welcome to 2017. Did 2016 go entirely too fast or entirely too slow for you?

For me, I'm ready for 2017. 2016 wasn't a horrible year by any means but I'm ready for the perceptible "clean slate" that comes with the turn of the calendar page.

This time of year, folks are apt to be discussing New Year's Resolutions and I'm no exception but I want to present a different way of thinking about them. A yogi friend of mine recently posted a, new to me, idea that I love. Instead of making a resolution or resolutions for the year why not give ourselves permission for grace and balance and instead start the year off with an INTENTION.

Think of it this way, I could resolve to read 2 books a month, workout at least 3 days per week, praise my husband daily and not yell at my kids and while measurable and theoretically attainable (like good goals/resolutions should be) they offer me no grace, no wiggle room.

Instead, what if I start the year off with the intention of LOVE. Each day I can breath in and think of how I can love - myself, my family, my community. For me loving self might involve reading books and working out but if I focus on the self-love aspect of those activities instead of the numerical benchmarks I'm more likely to find the joy they generate for me instead of the necessity of getting them done. As the year progresses, the love I need to show my kids may change from "less yelling" to "more independent activities" or "more hugs".

An intention gives me the flexibility to adapt to life as it presents itself while still focusing on a theme for the year.