2018 NORTH STAR
Center Artword by Odilon Redon / Edit by me
2018.
BABY,
LET'S DANCE.
No conventional resolutions. No pressure. No doing-the-thing-that-everyone-says-is-the-way-to-conquer-the-next-365.
I'm going to throw out a few practices that I've found to be a) simple b) quick c) effective d) scribble-able on a cocktail napkin at 11:45pm tonight (NYE), if that's the way you roll (in which case, we'd get along REAL nice).
But, above all, and whether or not you adopt any of these suggested modalities, remember you are already a gorgeous specimen...right now. You're nailing this human journey. You are weird/pretty/asymmetrical/imbalanced/kooky/delightful/huggable/kissable/absolutely LOVEABLE.
Here we go 2018, we are going to be excellent dance partners:
The HELL YES and HELL NO Lists
HELL YES: What do you WANT -really F*ING WANT- in your life in the year ahead? Don't you dare hold back. Write that juicy, crazy, big stuff down. Make sure these things come from an authentic place, not a "this will make me look cool on Instagram" place. This list serves as a reminder to yourself that YOU ARE WORTH HAVING NICE AND GOOD THINGS.
HELL NO: What do you NOT WANT infesting your life in the year ahead? These could be current people, places, feelings, and objects OR that which you've never experienced but will NEVER. EVER. SETTLE for. Claim your standards, babe.
EVOLUTION vs. FOSSILIZE
EVOLUTION: Name 1 quality or skill you will add to your bag of tricks (punctuality...knitting...posture...matching socks).
FOSSILIZE: Name 1 quality/skill you absolutely adore about yourself. You will solidify -fossilize- this within your DNA.
The NORTH STAR Word
Bust out your thesaurus app or let your mind intuitively guide you to a single-word mantra for the year ahead.
I've done this exercise for the past five years, and each word -at various vital pivots- has served as both enthusiastic RA-RA cheerleader and hardcore swift-kick-in-the-ass cowgirl.
The North Star Word is a guide leading me to my full, authentic nature. It's an element of me at my best. This word knows what I am capable of, even in times of the deepest, darkest self-doubt. My previous words have included chutzpah, hustle, standout, and courage.
2018 is my year of:
EXPANSION
Finally, my babes, I will leave you with the gorgeous passage that my yoga teacher spoke into this morning's still, Shavasana air:
May your coming year
be filled with
magic
and
dreams
and
good madness.
I hope you read
some fine books
and kiss someone who
thinks you're
wonderful,
and don't forget
to make some
art --
write or draw
or build or sing
or live as only you can.
And I hope,
somewhere in the next year
you surprise yourself.
- Neil Gaiman
