THE THEME FOR YOUR YEAR. WHAT IS IT?
Every year I present myself a theme. I reflect in December, in preparation for the year to come, and ponder what is the resource and gift I want the new year to bring me.
I’ve been doing this for approximately10 years, and I have yet to be disappointed.
When a theme is in the forefront of my mind, I remain incredibly aware of the world around me. It creates a childlike wonder and an anticipation. It gives me permission to ask the dreamy question, “what if”.
My yearly themes break down my guardedness and stretches me out of my comfort zone. My themes create adventures I would never experience if it wasn’t for my intention to stay true to my objective.
It’s not too late to ask yourself, “what is my theme for 2016”?
Reflect on what you want your theme to be. Then say yes to it.
Here’s an important tip: Don’t sit around and expect the experiences to fall from the sky. Once you know your theme, what will you do about it?
One year, my theme was “say yes”. Oh my, sometimes it got me into trouble, “hmmm…maybe I shouldn’t have said yes to that.” But my commitment was to “say yes”; so, I said “yes”. For every great moment and opportunity that arose, there was only a smidgen of “shouldn’t have said yes” moments. The “say yes” experiences far outweighed the not-so-great ones. I would say only 2% of my “say yes” moments embarrassed me. But embarrassment doesn’t kill me, and actually make for great stories in the aftermath! Therefore all my “yes” moments were a positive experience and I don’t regret any of them.
Another year, my theme was “Let go.” Wowzers. This theme confronted my need to control (control is based from fear). So ultimately, it also confronted my fear. It was a liberating year of “letting go”. I was challenging myself continually and often re-visiting conversations, eating humble pie, and choosing to relinquish control. Each time I “let go” I was one step closer to being my care-free self. How rewarding!
What is your theme? Find it. Chase it. Embrace it.
-Karen Thrall