Okay – so just over a month ago I committed to participating in Reverb10. And just over three weeks ago, I fell off the face of the earth. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to complete all of the prompts, but I’m rather embarrassed to say that I only did the first eight.
Jeez Louise – that’s pretty deplorable.
So, as punishment, I’m going to attempt to complete the remaining 23 in this very late post. Hold on to your hats….here we go!
December 9 – Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Author: Shauna Reid)
My sister’s wedding in Mexico. It was an entire week of shenanigans, most of them sunshine- and margarita-soaked. Heck yes, good times.
December 10 – Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out? (Author: Susannah Conway)
I have two – registering for life coach training. And then, de-registering for life coach training. By the end of January, I will have completed the core curriculum, but I’ve opted not to continue on for certification. Biggest. weight. lifted. ever. (well, this year anyways!)
December 11 – 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)
I’ve decided that I’d rather list 11 things I do need in 2011: writing, yoga, creativity, colour, cuddling, bravery, vulnerability, connections, red gumboots, music, space. My 2011 life in a nutshell.
December 12 – Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)
This is going to sound totally odd, but the moment that springs to mind is not entirely pleasant (weak stomachs, do not read further). The evening after my foot surgery, I gracelessly but calmly spewed my guts out into a bedside bucket. And although I was completely stoned on painkillers, I had a brief moment of clarity when I knew that my mind was completely pissed about what had happened to my body and therefore, had decided to launch (literally) its formal protest.
December 13 – Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)
Finally buckling down and reworking this blog. That’s happening soon. I’ve been threatening for months, as I’ve ruminated on the multiple possibilities. I’ve spent many hours letting it take shape in my brain….I’m finally (almost!) ready to let it take shape on the internets.
December 14 – Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)
My own opinion. Writing is my gratitude.
December 15 – 5 Minutes. Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)
2010 was the year I grew up, and I also the year I realized that growing up doesn’t have to be a “grown up” thing. It’s the year I let go, and also the year held on for dear life – and also when I learned how to listen to myself to realize when one is right and the other can wait. 2010 was the year I created real memories, not flashcards of a life.
December 16 – Friendship. How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)
I have many friends, but only a few close friends. And those few close friends have shown me that it’s ok to change – that it’s necessary to change – that they’ll still love me if I change, or if I don’t. That they’ll change with me, or stand beside me and support me. That my opinions are important and that it’s okay to open my big fat mouth because sometimes people wanna know what I’m thinking. (thank you Stinky and Mr. A).
December 17 – Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)
I am not who I think I am – I’m better. Time to run with it kiddo.
December 18 – Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)
A few weeks ago, we got slightly tipsy on the beach in Puerto Vallarta and I offhandly made the comment that I’d like to try parasailing. Mere minutes later, I was flying (paralyzed with fear) through the air. I hated every second of it. I will never do it again. But at least I can say that I’ve done it. I honestly can’t think of anything I want to try in 2011 that I haven’t already tackled, but you never know after a few too many Coronas.
December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)
Some very understanding, patient and supportive health professionals have given me more than I could possible imagine on my own personal path to healing. Kindness and validation go a very very long way.
December 20 – Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)
Should is an evil word. I don’t believe there was anything I “should” have done this year that I didn’t because I believe I truly listened to myself this time around – a practice I intend to continue in 2011.
December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)
Don’t ever stop listening to yourself. You’re on to something, kiddo, and even if you can’t quite put your finger on it right now, you still know that it’s right. Not everything in this world needs to be black and white – sometimes your answers can be found right there, in the middle of gray.
December 22 – Travel. How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)
2010 = 3 weeks by car in France. 1 week on foot in New York City. 2.5 weeks on sun lounger in Mexico.
2011 = 3 weeks by train in Italy, France and Spain. 1 week on beer in Scotland. 1 week on more beer in Ireland? And wherever else this amazing life will take me.
December 23 – New Name. Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why?
Ms. New Boots. ’cause I got some, and I’m ready to wear ‘em.
December 24 Prompt – Everything’s OK. What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead?
I wish I had a better, more profound answer to this one. But the most recent moment that comes to mind was when my two drunken feet landed back on the sand after 8 minutes of terrifying parasailing. I’m petrified of heights and the whole time I was in the air, I spoke out loud to myself – first, telling myself I was still alive and I wasn’t going to die and second, counting out loud the seconds until it was all over. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I knew I would be ok. Actually no – as soon as I saw Mr. Ambitious waiting for me on the beach (even though he looked like a tiny speck from that high up), I knew I would be ok. Hunh. Go figure.
December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words.
December 26 – Soul Food. What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)
One of my best meals this year was a Lyonnaise stew in a hole-in-the-wall yet highly recommended tavern in Lyon. The moment I stepped into the place, I felt unbearably uncomfortable – an obvious tourist – but we stayed, tried the local cuisine, and had one of the best meals of my life.
December 27 – Ordinary Joy Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)
See here.
And here.
December 28 – Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. (Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)
Ok, this is a long one, and this post is already 10 miles long. So, I’m just gonna stick to the first part – in 2011, I want to achieve my sense of purpose. It’s so close I can smell it.
December 29 – Defining Moment. Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)
January 18 was the day I first posted on this blog. My own writing has coached me and encouraged me through some huge decisions and transitions this past year. Leading me to believe that I’m kind of awesome.
December 30 – Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)
Cheese alert! Kindness, friendship, understanding and validation were the greatest gifts I received this year. I have moved forward in leaps and bounds because of them.
December 31 – Core Story. What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.) (Author: Molly O’Neill)
Oh Reverb10, you had to end on a cheesy note, didn’t you? *sigh*
Ok, I’ll go with you on this little journey. When I think back on all my reflections from this month (which wasn’t that hard since I wrote the majority of them tonight), I am most proud of my post from December 8th (Beautifully Different) because I think it’s the post that’s most authentically me:
“I’m the girl that loves pink, but rarely wears it. I’m the girl that craves red gumboots, and loves to stand in the rain. I’m the girl that lives off laughter, but would die without silence. I’m the girl that believes a smile can make a difference in anyone’s day.
I’ll do anything to make you laugh. I’m authentically and genuinely curious. I’m contagious and I’m subtle, and I know when to be one and not the other.
I’m playful, surprising and honest. I have a song in my head at all times. I want to hear your story and I wholeheartedly believe you can do anything.
I believe in Santa Claus, and toothfairies, and karma, and fate – not as ethereal, unexplained and magical things, but as manifestations of our own incredible faith, goodness and kindness. I believe in people.”
Here’s to 2011 – a year of exploration and connection, sparkling and radiating, goodness and kindness, wonder and magic and, of course, red gumboots.
