January 2008
Happy New Year! I hope that you had a beautiful holiday season, and are ready to make 2008 a great year. As is my custom each January, I design a theme for my year. My theme is a lens through which I see my thoughts and actions. It stretches me to grow in particular areas of my life. This year’s theme is “Simplicity and Generosity.”
Simplicity means, for me, paring down all non-essentials in my life so that I focus on what truly matters. It may entail letting go of relationships that don’t feed my soul or just cleaning out my closet. My desire is to have more clarity of purpose and action in 2008. I want to eliminate hype and hyperbole. I long for crisp, clean communication. I also intend to relish more simple pleasures. The other day, I listed some of the simple pleasures that I have enjoyed lately: watching my grown sons open their Christmas gifts; lounging in front of a roaring fire with my beau; sharing an “ah-ha” moment with a client; watching the sunrise with a steaming cup of my favorite tea; experiencing the tastes, sounds, and smells of a new restaurant; laughing until I cry with a good friend; talking on the phone with my older sister about love and life; cooking a favorite recipe for my family; going for a brisk walk on a cold winter day; seeing a magnificent bald eagle; reading my young nephew’s carefully crafted thank-you note (in which he used the word “awesome” three times; he must have really liked the gift of magic tricks).
A simple life does not have to mean a life of deprivation or lack. I believe that we live in a world of abundance, and I want to reflect that in my life. My intention is to be more generous with my time, talent, and treasure. As part of my journal, I’m noting when I have the chance to be generous, and how I respond to those opportunities. My desire is to be generous with love and acceptance towards those I might not understand or agree with. I want to be generous to my spirit, to feed it with positive thoughts, beauty, and quiet. I will be generous with my talent, and serve my clients in ways that strengthen and encourage them. Being generous also translates to giving time and resources to my community as a contributing member of various organizations to which I belong.
What will your theme for 2008 be? If I can support you in designing a theme, please let me know. I wish you a year of peace, prosperity, and fulfillment.
Sharon
Sharon Keys Seal