New Year - New Word

This year started off with a bang.  Literally.  At midnight I awoke to fireworks, my girlfriend's dog, Tashi, scampering around my house and my girlfriend, Jodi, heading to the bathroom.  I pick up Tashi and put her on my bed to soothe her and as Jodi comes out of the bathroom I ask for a hug before she gets back in her bed and she steps on cat poo!

This is Tashi's third visit to my house and my cats are not amused.  One of them decided to let me know just how not amused he was by leaving a large pile of poo on the floor next to my bed.  With fireworks exploding all around, Jodi is washing the poo off her foot while I clean up the floor.

I'm finding the humor in this, especially as I hear Jodi tell it.  She's got the best sense of humor and makes me laugh 'til I cry almost every time we're together.

This is the year I turn 50.  Just a little over a month now.  I've decided to do my own happiness project for my birthday.  Seems fitting that my word would have something to do with this project.  My project, instead of being a "happiness project" will be my own Journey of Joy, documented right here.  I'll be focusing on finding ALL the little bits of JOY in my life this year.

The first day of this year included having Jodi make me breakfast (yum!), yoga, massages, great food with friends, a wonderful walk through an old cemetery, games, great chocolate, and writing.  Lots of joy to start off the year, for sure.

Do you have a word of the year?  If so, please share.

Develop

Now is when so many around the world are making their New Year's Resolutions. A few years ago I read about a better way. This is the blog post that inspired me to choose a word for the year, and I have done just that each year and it is amazing how much more powerful this is.

This year my word is "Develop". I never know at the beginning of the year just how much of an impact my word will have, but I always have an idea of where I want to start with it. This year, I want to develop deeper friendships and perhaps completely new friendships, realizing that I'm not feeling like I fit in with most of the people I've known here in Corvallis. I also want desperately to develop my website for my new healing business as well as develop the business itself and develop my skills as a healer.

I also am already taking steps to develop myself as a writer, and am looking forward to sharing some of that here as I go.

Do you have a word for the year? I'd love for you to share your word and maybe a bit about what it means to you in the comments.