I went back to the workshop New Year’s Day again this year
and was once again moved by the camaraderie and coming together of a roomful of
people to gain clarity to our individual purpose. It is inspiring and emotional
to see what people are aspiring to and I was not the only one with tears in my
eyes as we shared our intentions with each other.
2014 was truly an amazing year, in all facets. I grew more
than I have in any other year. I am a stronger, happier person with a better
foundation to deal with things that come my way. I have put a lot of thought
into what 2015 is going to be and how I can continue to grow.
A few things have motivated my 2015 intention.
I recently read an article where nurses recounted the top
things people said they regretted on their deathbeds. The number one regret was
not living the life they wanted to live, but living within the expectations of
others. It stuck in my head for weeks. My husband and I have a lot of similar
interests and enjoy our time together, but like every couple we have some
interests that just don’t cross over. Kind of clunkily, I mentioned to him that
I really wanted to go to Paris and visit the Louvre for a few days, vintage
shop, and eat escargot and pate… and there were some other places I wanted to
visit in a way that he may not enjoy as much… and I felt like this was
something I should do on my own… and I didn’t want him to take that as a
statement that I didn’t want to travel with him... because I love our vacations
together. How lucky am I that his response was, “As long as you don’t go to
Italy without me and we go to the beach once a year, you should do it!” So, I
am! I booked a solo trip to Paris to spend a week visiting museums and acting on
my whims and going at my own pace. I think the biggest realization to me was
that I was creating those “expectations of others” in my own head. I
anticipated that he would not support my dreams because they were not his and I
was so wrong.
The second major impetus for my intention is the year I have
coming up at work. When putting the annual plan together I was surprised to see
month after month of major presentations, product launches – yes plural, and industry
and press events – yes plural. Never in the history of our company have we had
so much cool stuff hit in one 12 month period. And I am excited! I have the
right team and the right support and I can organize and plan the hell out of it.
Stress? Of course. Will things go wrong? Yep. But, that’s okay. It will fuel my
motivation. And I am going to enjoy every minute of it!
The third thing is more of a feeling that I can only
describe by painting a scene. It’s as if I am all dressed up and walked into a
party. There are interesting, beautiful people all around talking and laughing.
They are people that I look up to and respect, who do amazing things that
inspire me. They are people who have given me advice and opened doors for me. They
are people who are confident and create and do and act, with seemingly no fear.
They are people that I want to be like. I am standing just inside the door and
not sure where to go or what to do. I want to walk in and feel confident joining
this group of people, listening and sharing and laughing. I think I belong
here but not quite sure how to be a part of the party. This is the year that I am ready to
be a part of the party.
My intention worksheet reads like this: I am ready to step
out, own who I am, and do it fully and deeply. I want to let go of doubt and
fear. I want to dive in and live hard. I want to share and experience things
with others. I want to listen. I want to laugh loud and smile big. I want to
say yes and celebrate and embrace joy. So my 2015 intention is “Joie de vivre”.
Literally, joy of living. Defined by Wikipedia as “cheerful enjoyment of life; an exultation of
spirit.” Bring it on 2015! This is going to be fun…
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