Happy New Year, friends! It has dawned sunny here in Vancouver, which should absolutely not be taken as a portent for things (especially weather) to come, but is welcome nonetheless.
For the last several years, I’ve been playing my friend Arwen’s New Year Naming Game (I don’t think that’s what she actually calls it, but that’s how I think of it). It involves looking at where you are and where you’re going and coming up with a single word that you hope will sum up – or at least be a recurring theme in – the year to come.
One word. It’s not easy!
I’ve been over-thinking it, as ever. Records on clay tablets indicate that I’ve been doing this since 2012, and my words have been (in order) Perspective, Art, and AUTHORITY (in all caps, as you might imagine). The latter, in particular, was super helpful (last year’s post explains why), and I think I may be at a point now where I am feeling confident in myself again and can afford to back down a little and relax.
And… I was going to pick something else, but now that I think about it, RELAX may just be our winner. Why not? In all caps, of course, with an implied OR ELSE! hot on its heels. There’s a lot coming up this year with the potential to make me anxious, but I see it coming and I have good tools for dealing with it now. I just need a periodic reminder to let go, take care of myself, and breathe.
What’s ahead, as you gaze through your spyglass at the year to come? What word will you carry with you, or scrawl across the top of your map?
Rachel Hartman 
Purpose. That’s my word for 2015. And a very Happy New Year to you, Rachel! 🙂
Organize. That’s my word for the year. Any number of things I intend to organize, right up to and including my thoughts on many subjects. By the end of December this year I, my house, my warehousing space and my budding business will be organized. (It says here, LOL)
Now it’s official! 🙂
Liking the RELAX, but maybe breath, or Busy. As high school junior I often forget the former due to an overdose of the latter.
That’s an intriguing exercise. My mom always insists on doing resolutions, but I think I prefer the one word as it can be applied to more than one aspect of life.
And then there is EXCITEMENT!!!
I”m sure you’ve been hearing this often, but I am desperately looking forward to Shadow Scale. I’m not a huge advocate for Y.A. novels, finding that they are too often confined to the same plot and characters, but I fell madly in love with Seraphina. Throughout the years there have been books (old friends) I turn to when things start to fall apart, be it a bad dream or a difficult month. First it was Harry Potter, then the Hobbit, then A Wrinkle in Time. The past few years it has been Seraphina. Thank you for her. She is a life saver. (odd as that may sound). I shudder to think what the past two years would have looked like without her.
Happy New Year,
ellie
I’ve had books like that in my life as well, elle, and you cannot imagine how gratifying it is to know that Seraphina has been there for you. Thank you for telling me.
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