My Word For 2014 – ENJOY!

When I was a kid, life wasn’t always great. So to muddle through, I learned to live for tomorrow. I’d convince myself I had to keep going because there was something better coming. I was happy to work for whatever that was, and it helped me not to give up on myself or on life.

The problem with this is that after a lifetime of thinking this way, you forget how to live in the moment. Or maybe I never learned how to live in the moment. Now that my present situation is pretty good, I want to enjoy it. To live in it and not be constantly searching ahead for the next good thing.

In an effort to learn how to live in the moment, I’ve chosen a theme word for 2014. Enjoy. That’s what I want to do. Enjoy my rehabbed house, my fabulous teenager, and even my loony pets. I want to enjoy every new review, new scene idea, and even the days when the words aren’t coming easy because I want to remember that I’m getting to do something amazing for a living.

And it’s still amazing, even when it isn’t easy.

My process right now is to take a second each day to be present. To look around and really see what I’ve accomplished and the gifts I’ve been given. I’m sure there will be days when I forget and fall into old habits. I already catch myself thinking about six months from now and how things might be. Can’t be perfect from the start, but I’m trying.

How about you? Ever heard of this picking a theme? I like it much better than making resolutions (which I haven’t done in years) or even setting goals. Goals are out there somewhere. Insisting we achieve something makes our happiness conditional. I don’t want conditional. I want to be happy regardless of hitting some lofty goal.

If you’re interested, what would your word be? Or you can pick a phrase. What mindset do you want to take into 2014?