Word of the Year: Mindfulness

I am back! We drove to Kansas to spend New Years with my in-laws. We had a fabulous time visiting with family and friends. And we drove home just ahead of the Polar Vortex that was hitting that part of the country. Crazy weather.

So I am a big goal setter. I love New Years resolutions. I can get on my soap box about SMART goals and how if they are not specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound than they aren't goals but dreams.

But with all that said, I changed my tune on New Years resolutions about half way through last year.  The goals I had set last year were SMART goals. But I lost interest in them about summer time when I was preparing for the move to Utah. And never gain momentum once we were settled here. And felt guilty about it.  I hate guilt. At some point last year I read about word-of-the year resolutions and decided contentment would be my word. I set aside my SMART goals and guilt and focused on feeling content. I love this scripture:

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, 
in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 
Philippians 4:11

As 2013 came to an end I realized that I was feeling much more content in my heart. Some of that is a result of the move to Utah where our little family is finally together more often than not. Some from my employment ending and the blessing of being home again. But it has also come as a result of praying to have feelings of contentment and giving thanks for the many blessings I do have in my life. 


Like these sweet boys. And my two beautiful girls. Roman is trying out new ways to bowl, winding up to punch the ball down the lane. Jude is dressed as a Wise Man for our annual Dahle Family Nativity play.


I am thankful for my family and for living close to two of my siblings now. That is my brother Jim, fulfilling his traditional role as donkey and camel. Usually he gets to haul a light weight child Mary around but my little sister Suzanne had a baby this year, giving her the role of Mary. :)


My older sister, Jenni, is always King Herod. She loves playing the wicked King, as it is the opposite in every way of her personality. But it was just Jim, Suzanne, and I this year so I was cast as King Herod and given an afro and tutu to wear?!?


I am grateful I finished sewing the 10 fox masks (pattern here) in time (and that all the children loved them) to remember the year we learned what the fox says, a favorite song of Uncle Jim and all the cousins.


I am grateful I finished one hand knit gift in time for Christmas.  Maeve loves her cowl with the super soft malabrigo yarn. I love how it turned out and plan to write up the pattern soon. And I am grateful that Santa found dollar store ninja masks and sleds (the last ones at Walmart on the 23rd of December. I heard several employees told him they were completely out of sleds but a nice customer with sleds in her cart pointed him to the aisle where they were.)



So I haven't mastered contentment yet, obviously, but I feel better about where I am now with it. My new word-of-the-year for 2014 is mindfulness. My husband likes to tease me that my word should be zen. But I like the word mindfulness better. My goal this year is to live in (and enjoy) the moment. To stop, look, and listen to my children and husband when I am with them. To not worry about what is coming next or how fast they are growing up. To not get bogged down with to-do lists. But to heed the counsel in this scripture:

"Be still, and know that I am  God." 
Psalm 46:10

That is my New Year's resolution. Sure I have my goals of how many patterns to publish, how many pounds to lose, how many books to read, etc. but that isn't my focus. My focus is on mindfulness -- being present in my life. 

But speaking of books, my mother gave us money to buy books for our children this year for Christmas and one that I just ordered is 50 Famous Stories Retold. 

I read it online with my older daughter when we were homeschooling and really liked all the little stories from world history. Mostly they are male heros and I thought the boys would enjoy listening to the stories. Super excited! Joining with Ginny and Tami today.

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