Silence

 

It’s OK if you don’t recognize this quote.  I didn’t.  It’s a line from the movie Fight Club.  I saw the movie a long time ago but I couldn’t get past the violence and so I didn’t recognize this kernel of wisdom when I first heard it.

Now here we are:  2009 is coming to a close and 2010 is just about here.  We are only a few days away.  I have become a lot more introspective over the past year.  It was necessary.

I have decided that even more introspection is called for.  I believe in action but action without purpose and direction is just spinning my wheels.  I’ve had enough of spinning my wheels.

My word  for 2010 is silence.  My intention for 2010 is silence.  I want to hear my own inner voice speaking and I can’t do that amidst chaos.  I need to think, I need to plan, to dream, to prioritize and to decide.  I need to unleash my creativity and I know in my heart that I cannot do that if my life is flipping me around like a pinball in a machine.  Instead of reacting to everything happening around me, I need to remain calm and open.

I believe this silence is going to be the first step towards peace and joy in 2010.  I truly believe that experiencing silence will help me move towards happiness and living an authentic creative life.  How can I build a life if I haven’t taken the time to think and dream about how I want that life to look? It is imperative that I take that time even if I have to schedule some quiet time for myself.

Technorati Tags: silence,joy,authenticity,resolution,creativity

Working Backwards

Recently, I was talking to a friend of mine about Christmas and how stressful it is.  She told me she had heard a radio broadcast that recommended taking some time out to think about Christmas and to try to form a mental picture of Christmas day.  When you can get a clear picture of Christmas, the next step is to try to pick out the important elements.  While visualizing, are you noting the perfectly wrapped gifts with matching paper? Probably not.  The things which come to mind are the things you should focus on and work backward from there to determine your priorities.

I am so glad my friend passed along this bit of wisdom because it has been helping me a lot during this holiday season.

Using this visualization exercise, I have determined that my priorities are:

• spending time with family
• attending Mass
• spending time with friends
• being prepared ahead of time

These priorities have helped me make decisions already.  I have already done more family related activities this month than I ever have because in the past I was always too busy baking, shopping, and decorating.  I wasn’t sure whether or not I could organize my annual Christmas brunch for a small circle of girlfriends but I decided that the relaxing time we spend together one afternoon in December is very important to me and worth putting other things aside.  As for the shopping, baking, and decorating; they are not priorities anymore so I have decided to pare down all three of them.

More on this theme to follow, but in the meantime, have you decided what your priorities are this Christmas?  Does your to-do list reflect your priorities?

Technorati Tags: Christmas,stress,organization,visualization