Last January I wrote a post about the “word” meme that swept across social media posts. My word was infrastructure. I succeeded in imposing some order upon my life. But at the same time I became reacquainted the impermanence of everything. Life’s genie is a trickster and reminds us that all is perspective.
Framing
2014 served to reinforce my understanding of how important framing can be to successfully navigate life. Culture is all in our heads but it is the single-most critical component of human existence. We create everything from nothing. All our contemporary life was created from ideas. We work from beliefs, goals, and knowledge. Resolutions and choosing a word for the year are simply frameworks for constructing reality from dreams.
I employ whatever methods catch my fancy. I assume that if I am attracted to an idea that it must somehow align with my past behavior and is attractive because of that familiarity. That can be both good and bad; people tend to repeat behaviors, even mediocre ones, not because they have been successful, but because they were not failures. Only massive fails tend to stick in our minds as examples to avoid. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger…” and possibly more mediocre.
I try to do a cursory examination of potential organizers I can adopt and see what ones best fit me and which ones I think might actually allow for actual improvement. And I am just as likely to employ new ones as previously used ones. I like change.
The usual sundry assortment of tools among which I will choose include social media memes, as per last year, and diverse tools from around the world such as this coming year being the Year of the Green Wooden Goat, as well as self-constructed programs that I will undoubtedly call upon.
Magical Thinking
This will be the first entire year without the living soul of Gabriel Garcia Marquez among us who remain here in this physically bounded plane in which time flows linearly. I think we should all keep the art of magical realism alive through the use of visualization in the next year. Surreal logic might be as good as any other. A world in which a ruling class of bankers fails and is rewarded for success makes as much sense as a Goddess who lives in a swamp and demands sacrifices from the people whose fertility and fields she controls.
I will continue to visualize a world in which women’s culture, and its concomitant prioritization of wanted and loved children’s health and education guides our actions. Visualization works in that possibilities are most often thought of before they become real. And perhaps, and perhaps not, surprisingly – imagining something and actually doing the action create the same brain responses.
Real World Expression
Thought is powerful, but so is action. Doing, even if your heart is not in it, can do wonders. Smile, walk, sing, and dance. It is infectious, even within yourself. Life is comprised of small actions. History distills those small actions into patterns, but no history can be made from inaction.
Small efforts repeated become routine. Repetition is also key to communication. Without repetition we cannot tell signal from noise. It might be a list, a schedule, or a menu, but patterns turn the noise of lives into action. I tend to go for themes.
If last year was for setting up and repairing neglected infrastructure, as it was for me, then the theme for this year is decorate. This for me, is a year for building upon, for enhancement, for celebrating what is already in place and right. It is a year for adding texture and pattern to the frame for accomplishment I focused on last year.
So that is how I hope and plan to live this year. I looked around all over the place for how others define wishes for the New Year. Neil Gaiman’s words from his Journal resounded with rightness.
Be kind to yourself in the year ahead.Remember to forgive yourself, and to forgive others. It’s too easy to be outraged these days, so much harder to change things, to reach out, to understand.Try to make your time matter: minutes and hours and days and weeks can blow away like dead leaves, with nothing to show but time you spent not quite ever doing things, or time you spent waiting to begin.Meet new people and talk to them. Make new things and show them to people who might enjoy them.Hug too much. Smile too much. And, when you can, love.–– Neil Gaiman, 31 December 2014
How and what are you consciously creating of and in this current cycle?
————-
Note: this post is part of a blog hop aka a group of networked bloggers writing about the same topics at about the same time. Chloe is hosting this event: https://chloeofthemountain.com/faith/its-all-in-your-perspective/
Kim Tackett
Wow Nancy, what a gift you are. I am working on creating joy and kindness. Simple gifts, you know? So I am declaring 2015 The Year of the Ukulele (more on that later). I also posted a Neil Gaiman piece on This is Plan Be:
“I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you’ll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you’ll make something that didn’t exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind.”
~ Neil Gaiman
Nancy Hill
As are you Kim. Synchronicity and kindred spirits!
Karen D. Austin
Infastructure. That’s good. Thanks for the New Year’s reflections and for the Gaiman quote. Have a lovely 2015.
Nancy Hill
Karen, Gaiman respects what we know, suspect, and do not know, I am glad you appreciated his quote and my word.
Carol Cassara
I love that you have a thinking person’s blog. I never rush through, I always stop and savor every word. I like what you said about using many different tools, including the fad I mean meme of the moment. Love your choice. I’ve resisted picking a word but with your framework, I’ll pick discipline, because I live without it so much it’s not good for me. Discipline. You’ve given me that, today, and so much more. Thanks. girl.
Nancy Hill
Carol, I am so glad that you appreciate my “thinking person’s blog.” So many people want quick fixes, superficial presentations, and such and that is okay, not all folks have the time, or inclination, to poke and prod beneath surfaces. I am pleased more than you can know that you let me know what you find meaningful.
Lisa at GrandmasBriefs
This is fabulous: “I think we should all keep the art of magical realism alive through the use of visualization in the next year.” A fantastic plan and one I’ll attempt as well.
I’m copying, pasting and printing Neil Gaiman’s words. Thank you for sharing that perfect plan for the new year… and every year going forward.
Cheers and Happy New Year, Nancy!
Nancy Hill
Lisa, it is always nice to see that sane women like you decipher and actually find meaning in my words and those I share. Thank you. Happy New Year to you too!
Angela Weight
Great post. I love the poem at the end about being kind to yourself an forgiing yourself. I’m learning to do that slowly. I’ve also learned to act “as if” when I don’t believe in myself. Acting in spite of your thoughts is powerful, like you said. My word for this year is “present.” I want to be present, in the moment. Put down the phone and make eye contact.
Nancy Hill
It is at this time of life that I think we have great opportunity to learn to be kind to and supportive of our selves, to slow down and be present. You can become as addicted to these behaviors as you are to your fitbit.
Doreen McGettigan
I have to second that I so appreciate your talent for making me think. Thought is only powerful when you follow it with action. I am getting better at that but it will be a constant work in progress. Neil is just amazing.
Happy New Year!
Nancy Hill
Well thank you Doreen! We will just have to help each other act. I do love Neil, too!
Nancy Andres
Dear Nancy, Enjoyed reading your blog and fascinating getting to know a little bit about your writing style. This is my first time with you and Chloe Jeffreys at her blog hop. If you get a chance, please check out my blog and word-“growth.” Warm regards, Nancy Andres
Nancy Hill
I’m off to check out your post now, it is taking some time to catch up with everything after the Holidays.