Monday, January 09, 2017

Memorandum Monday - January 9th

A brave new world wave to all & linking in with our hostess, Sian at: From High In The Sky


I am not sure at this moment, what Sian's plans are for our Monday morning memo routine, so I think I am going to stick on the fringe  with  ...

What's new from the patio this cold Monday morning?  My new thoughts about picking one word to guide me through 2017.



I have given a lot of thought to picking a word for 2017 & joining in with the One Little Word community.  Three years ago, I did sign up for the online year long workshop, hoping for further connection & inspiration.  I acknowledge the brilliance & creativity of Ali Edwards, she is amazing in so many ways.  BUT - (isn't there always a but) those monthly exercises did not resonate with me, I was not that inspired & certainly felt a failure because of my lack of brilliant revelation & change.  What was/is wrong with my word me.  

These last few years the failing Canadian dollar has kept me out of the online course world & feeling disconnected.  BUT (there we go again ...) I pretty much had resolved to join in, in 2017, I had asked for & received some Christmas dollars to spend on One Little Word, BUT I have not been able to settle on a word.  Oh I have been thinking almost non stop about which word.  There are so many posts guiding us how to pick your one word.  I applaud loudly & enthusiastically for those of you that have settled on a word - I think you will have so much success with your word.

For me, the decision is, I am settling on not one word but all my words.  I have noticed over the last days, months & even years, especially in the news reports, how our words have impact, how words can heal, help & bring humour BUT (there it is again ...) I have noticed how our day to day negative words can bring you, me down, make mountains out of mole hills & just be negative, presenting situations in an inflamed manner.  So this year I am choosing a softer kinder use of my words.  I will not hit any key, I will press the keys, I will not shoot a video, I will create a video, I will not pull the trigger on a new purchase, I will make the purchase, my winter weather is not a killer storm  but being typical winter gusting. I will not have an awfully good time, but a good time.  I want to think of how my chosen words present me to the world, how my self talk words either lift me up or tear me down.

So there's my new for this Monday morning.  Oh & the Canadian dollar is not failing, it is being compared on the world stage ...
 

23 comments:

  1. I applaud your word approach for the year - the words we hear and choose to use can have such an impact on how we all think and feel. Have a good week

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    1. It is surprising to me how poorly the "younger" generation expresses themselves & I want to as the quote goes, use ordinary words in an extraordinary way.

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  2. Our UK pound is doing the same thing: sometimes I wonder if I would ever have got so involved in scrapbooking if the exchange rate had been this way when I started. The US dollar was so cheap then for me I was able to indulge.

    Wishing you all the best with your word approach for the year

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    1. Thanks Sian - I think the world is waiting with bated breathe for what will happen in the US of A with The Donald taking charge Jan 20th. For scrapping supplies, I am now glad I stocked piled from all those close out sales :)

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  3. I like your approach to your words, it can be difficult to pick just one word. Good to stay positive!

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    1. Thanks Barbara, I amaze myself already how reframing with words can change my attitude about a situation,.

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  4. Interesting ideas, I shall look forward to studying your progress. Good luck. (I too struggled to pick "a word")

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    1. I knew when I was struggling & feel a tad down about not having a word, I needed to let it go for now, maybe later in the month or year a word may fit, but for now I will keep a watch on the p's & q's ...

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  5. Really interesting post! I have often noticed the violence in language in sports' reports and, increasingly, in general media reporting. I applaud your decision and will be mindful myself. I think you could start a movement!

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    1. Thank you Alexa. I think my tipping point was listening to the news & the ordinary events were reported in such a violent aggressive manner. Oh now I like the idea of leading a movement.

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  6. I think minding our words is positive-ly a good choice.

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    1. Thanks Susanne. I am not unconvinced it is going to be quite a challenge, but I am willing ...

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  7. It's definitely a great way to approach the new year! I'm reading The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. Your approach to words would definitely resonate with them. Like you I enrolled in Ali's course and did almost none of the activities. I decided that keeping track of my intentions and acting on them was a much better use of my time than documenting it through scrapbooking. Like you, I admire Ali and follow her blog, but the year-long classes don't seem to work for me.

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    1. I will go to the library for this book. Today I read an older post on Cathy Z's blog about living with more positive attitudes & less of the negative & I think it all starts with our self talk & our words.

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  8. I have been planning on choosing a word for this year (or any of the past years) but have yet to be able to choose just one.
    Good luck with your use of words :)

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    1. Thanks Tracy. I have done some of my best self discovery with my birthday question of which I set every year. I do hope you have success in finding a word - it's like playing a life scramble game!

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  9. Sounds like the positive "I will" has chosen you. It's good to be that way, your word doesn't have to have just one meaning, the idea behind it I believe, is to find you and the beauty around you and it looks like you've chosen well

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    1. I have read lots of articles on varying themes of OLW & I find it encouraging that the world is questioning & seeking at their own doorstep.

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  10. I like your idea of gentler words! Even though an avid scrapbooker I have never participated in the OLW concept for the year! And not starting at this point! It's real chilly out here in the west too with cold air pushing down from the homeland!

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    1. I find weather & word patterns often blow from different directions & the perspective view changes from where you are standing at the moment. I have had enough snow to last me so come on Mother Nature bring us some sunny days to reveal the beauty of the snow (certainly this is a small request?) Stay warm Leslee & scrap on!

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  11. OH, this is such a fabulous idea!! I'm currently reading a book called The No Complaint World, which also discusses how we say things that turn them into a complaint rather than informative conversation. It's really making me aware of how often I complain, and I'm making an effort to cut it out . . . uhm, I mean, change my perspective to the positive! :)

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    1. It is harder than I thought but I did get Mr Man onboard & we have even decided to stop watching a couple of TV shows because we felt they were rather more negative than uplifting or funny. Little steps ...

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  12. I'm reading this post and nodding in agreement and then it occurs to me that your word this year is "words" and it's a great choice and a wonderful intention! Best of luck in achieving success with your linguistic choices!

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