Mondo Beyondo 2008: Part One

Me and the fabulous Lucy Cavendish: Learning to Let Go

Okay, I am a little bit late with this post. The fabulous Andrea suggested this exercise at the beginning of the year and I am only just getting around to it! Andrea suggested that we answer four questions and then declare 2007 complete, and decide what your focus for 2008 is. So...here we go with the first part:

1. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for in regard to 2007?

• I want to acknowledge my bravery in moving overseas and living, working, breathing, exploring and making friends in Texas for the first few months of 2007 and the last few months of 2006.

• I want to acknowledge my bravery in taking a huge chance and flying to Guatemala and attending the Writing and Yoga Retreat. I didn't want to go and was horribly worried about the logistics of getting myself to Lake Atilan, but it turned out to be one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.
  
• I want to acknowledge my boldness in quitting a horrible job where I worked for a controlling and mean woman, and doing so when I had no one where else to go.
• Additionally, I want to acknowledge myself for sticking out the first few months of my current position which I initially hated with the fire of a thousand suns.
  
• I want to acknowledge my journey with Marian and where I am at with exploring who I am and what I am capable of.
  
• I want to acknowledge my adoption of Good Golly Miss Mollie and applaud how I worked through the initial anxiety and upset associated with her arrival. I am still not quite as attached to Mollie as I am to Hopie the Wonder Puppy, but we are getting there and really, how can I not be attached to someone as sweet as her and her happy feet? I
• want to acknowledge paying off some of my debt and being hardcore and down the line about it. May it continue until all the debt is gone!
  
• I want to acknowledge my Christmas Craft project and how much fun that was. I want to acknowledge making my way through The Artists Way which was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. So wonderful that I plan to re-explore it this year in my Online Creativity Circle.
  
• I am proud that I have begun to write, to move further towards my creative dream. That fills me with excitement.

2. What is there to grieve about 2007?

It was disappointing to be in the position where I let someone treat me badly for longer than I should have. That experience is over now and I have let it go. It will never happen to me again.

Lots of things were scary! Too many to list. Traveling, starting my new job, writing, my credit card statements, getting a second dog. But I'm proud to say that even though these experiences were scary, I didn't let that stop me from doing them and trying to enjoy them. Sometimes it was hard, very hard.

I forgive myself for not being perfect. I forgive myself for not being kind to myself. I forgive myself for being selfish with my creative time and dreams.

3. What else do you need to say about the year to declare it complete?

I think I've said what needs to be said. I declare 2007 complete. Bring on 2008!