Reverb 10 (#reverb10) is now an annual event, an inspired response to (and evolution of) #best09. It’s an open online initiative that encourages participants to reflect on this year andmanifest what’s next. It’s an opportunity to retreat and consider the reverberations of your year past, and those that you’d like to create in the year ahead. We’re connected by the belief that sharing our stories has the power to change us. We look forward to reading yours.
By the time this project worked its way through the fog currently surrounding my brain, I thought I had missed the boat. After all, it is Day 11 of 31.
Then I read of Allurynn having the same doubts and her resolve to play catch up and I squashed my inner perfectionist and decided to do the same!
December 1 - One Word.
Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?
(Author: Gwen Bell)
I set off into the New Year with One Word - ENJOY. Nearly a year later, I can look back and say it was a good choice. But for the upcoming year, I think CHANGE is going to be the key. I have lots of plans and expectations for embracing mid-life as I start counting down to the Big 5-0 in 2013 and next year will see the beginning of this transition.
December 2 - Writing.
What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?
(Author: Leo Babauta)
I am online each and every day, yet do not blog that often. Despite best intentions of journalling life on paper or online, it is a habit I just cannot establish. In 2010 though, I have almost completed Project 365 (20 days to go!) which is a daily journal in photographic form, so I know I do have the discipline to commit. I think the barrier is simply lack of intention and there is an easy way to overcome that: I just need to declare it will be so and share my intention publically. Consider it so!
December 3 – Moment.
Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).
It was a series of moments, lasting about 30 minutes or so, during my daughter's wedding last month. As the ceremony began, I felt a sense of utter joy descend upon me, and time slowed down as I savoured every moment of her dream day come true. As they signed the register, family and friends came to congratulate me, but I pretty well zoned them out as I just focused on my beautiful daughter, her new husband and the magic before me.
December 4 – Wonder.
How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?
What is wonder? Google tells me it is: The emotion aroused by something awe-inspiring, astounding, or marvelous. LOL - I guess that is summed up in one word of its own this year: WEDDING! I really enjoyed travelling the path alongside my daughter as she and her fiance planned and prepared for their special day. The year was filled with moments to be treasured and I did my best to capture them as photos or thoughts or memories. Seeing her try on just the right wedding dress, offering her the blue ribbon from my own wedding day to share, spending precious girly time together before she became a Wife - all tucked away forever etched in my memory.
December 5 – Let Go.
What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?
This year, I let go of colouring my hair to cover the grey. I decided to embrace this change and allow it to be part of this, current ME. I am told I am still quite the brunette from behind, but the face I see in the mirror is framed in grey. By freeing myself of the disappointment of newly-coloured hair quickly betraying the truth, I instead took on a sense of acceptance. I did, however, add colour to my hair for the wedding, however a few streaks of PURPLE amongst the grey are an entirely different kettle of fish!
December 6 – Make.
What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?
I have had a less-creative year than I planned or expected - if you don't count taking a photo every, single day! But the last thing I made was a step into new territory for me - I painted a stylised self-portrait in an art journal, as part of Art, Heart, Healing. And I enjoyed the process and the result. I plan to do more, try some other art courses and move further in that direction. I intend to make this a focus in the new year, alocating funds to materials and course fees and spending time allowing myself to play.
December 7 – Community.
Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?
There is no doubt at all that Facebook is the place where I gather with my tribe and share the experience of life. That is probably not the answer expected by the many groups I interact with in real life or even online, but, if I am going to be honest here, that is the truth. Facebook, for me, is not about playing online games or taking quizzes, rather it is a meeting place. Like a huge tree in an ancient village, it is where I stop to chat, to share news, to connect and re-connect. Old friendships renewed, family relationships re-established, conversations on unplanned topics amongst unexpected participants - it is only the format that is new: the concept is as old as time. I look forward to this continuing to grow and change in the coming year, as I do myself.
December 8 – Beautifully Different.
Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.
People say I have a great smile - I have been told this a lot this year - which always catches me by surprise. Spending most of my life feeling embarrassed by my teeth, I often hid my smile. I don't now. Funnily enough, I look much happier in photos these days!
I dress in colour and this brings comment just about every day - I often wonder if I chose the same clothes in black on black, would I become invisible and unnoticed? Why do people consider my choices to be bold and daring, when they obviously enjoy the colours and styles I dress in? What is it about our society that people feel they need to dress so conservatively and predominantly in black? When we held a big conference here three years ago, with a riot of colour, we decreed a Black Ban at the conference dinner and insisted there by colour. So many people commented they would never have made those choices of dress or accessories and yet they enjoyed it! Life is a rainbow!
December 9 – Party
Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.
Its that word again - WEDDING! Oh go on, what sort of party could compete with a family wedding? The blending of two famiiles and friends, the sight of everyone dressed in their very best, the beautiful feast of carefully-chosen foods? No? What about the engagement party at the start of the year? No?
Okay, welll then it must be my older daughter's birthday celebrated with a Mad Hatter's Party in March, coinciding with the release of the new Alice in Wonderland movie!
December 10 – Wisdom
Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?
Two similar, random circumstances happened around the same time a few months ago - I read a book about being an Eco-shopper and I took part in a 21 day Radiant Goddess Cleansing program. These things led me to re-connect with my belief in eating in an ethical and minimally processed way. That led to me to open my eyes to great advances in the availability of healthy,organic foods, new ways to prepare and eat them and improvements in living ethically and ecologically. I got too busy to bother for too long and luckily, I have returned to making every meal mouthful matter.
To be continued ...
