ramblings from an arkansas farm girl
Dear Sunday Letter friends,
Happy 2019! I trust you survived the holidays and are ready to settle back into some sort of productive routine. This is me trying to get back on schedule by writing my first Sunday Letter of the new year.
Thanks for checking in!
It took me a while to come up with my One Little Word for 2019. I ended the year on a bone-tired note and began to wonder if I wanted to continue blogging at all. (Hahaha, of course I do!) But the truth is I’ve felt drained as of late, mainly because I let outside influences influence me. Seriously, the negative news and dialog can get to a person.
Anyway… If you aren’t familiar with One Little Word, click HERE and read all about the concept from founder Ali Edwards. In a nutshell, you choose a word for the year and rally around that word as inspiration throughout the year. The brain really is incredible. It’s amazing what will happen if you focus energy on the positive.
A single word can be a powerful thing. ~ Ali Edwards
I believe it.
In past years I’ve chosen these words: believe, balance, focus, savor, grow. Whatever I happened to be doing, I’ve made my word part of the equation. And for the most part, my word helped keep me centered, take the next step, and reach goals.
But everything feels different this year. Like I need a restart button. Maybe even a brief timeout to think and reboot.
So that’s where I’m starting.
THE LAST WEEK IN DECEMBER provides a quiet pause before stepping into the new year. The gifts have been given and opened, and we’re back home after five days in Dallas. For me, it feels like a free week, time to mold like Play-doh, to shape however I like.
I use some of my time during this last week in December to review my prior year. I think about the high points and begin to plan for 2019. I compile a few statistics. Without looking back, it’s impossible to know where I am. And this process helps me let go of what’s not working and move forward.
Something I’ve learned as a creative—I have to be willing to take a long hard look at myself, cheer for myself, and push myself into uncomfortable territory… AND, it’s about my entire body of work. Every word, every sentence, every story creates the whole of what I’m trying to do—to be a better writer and speak to a larger audience.
