I will admit I have been struggling to get down to writing, unsure what to say and struggling to re-find my va va voom in that hazy post Christmas limbo. I’ll also be honest, my regular, formal mindfulness practice rather slipped by the wayside over the holiday period.
I am sharing this because I want to show up in an authentic way, acknowledging I am far from perfect and 100% human. I think by admitting this to one another we help to create a kinder world. I recognise with self-compassion how it is to struggle, to falter, to get stuck sometimes, and I thought my reflections may be helpful or strike a chord.
As I write, I am reflecting on the power of words. Words in general and the power of the written word and reflective writing. But also the power of adopting a specific word as a guiding light or intention.
I wrote about my practice of choosing a word of the year in my blog last January and you may remember my word for 2024 was APPRECIATE.
With this in mind, as I think about my mindfulness practice over the holiday period, I can appreciate that, although formal meditation was patchy, I fell back on the beautiful informal practice of pausing to appreciate the moment every so often throughout each day.
I use the word appreciate very deliberately. Typically the word has connotations of enjoyment, savouring, recognising the positive.
There have definitely been times when I have embraced appreciate in this way, sometimes as a deliberate tool to cultivate gratitude and savour the good in life.
Practical examples of using this lens of appreciation as a mindfulness practice include: really being present as I stroke one of our companion animals - taking a moment to ground - feeling into my feet and/or seat and the contact with the floor or chair before shifting awareness to sensations in my hands as I caress their fur. Usually I bring such a practice to a close with a moment of connection, thanking my companion and expressing my gratitude that they are in my life.
I’ve also been experimenting with mindful photography. I was recently introduced to the wonderful work of Ruth Davey at Look Again and, following a session with her, have been taking photos to both capture the essence of a moment and reflect on it. I will also sometimes pause, to take a ‘virtual photo’ - simply inviting my eyes and senses to fully soak in this moment.
In fact this was a tool I was introduced to many years ago as a bride-to-be when a friend advised me that our wedding day would whizz by and it was good to pause every now and then to take a mental photo. She was right, the day did whizz by and I was grateful I headed her advice as some of those mental photos of that special day are still vivid and sustaining today, over 20 years on!
However, there have been other times when I have turned to a different facet of appreciation: recognising the value or importance of something, someone or a situation. Here it’s been interesting for me to notice that experiences can be both valuable and uncomfortable, or even unpleasant at the same time.
For example, I find having to write assignments for my Masters a bit of a stretch. As the deadline approaches I am conscious of a heaviness and pressure that starts to build up and a background busyness in my brain - like a hive of angry bees. But each assignment is also an invaluable process of discovery and reflection, learning new things and exploring how to present theories and ideas in a clear and concise way.
Change is another area I am learning to appreciate in all its technicolour glory. Right now I am facing a time of transition. I don’t always relish change but I do recognise it as both inevitable and a gateway to growth and fresh opportunities. In this way, I can appreciate change at the same time as allowing space for feelings of ambivalence or even fear. All these responses belong and can be given space, with mindful compassion, to be seen, allowed, and understood.
Which brings me to my word of the year for 2025…
Last year I became increasingly aware that, as my children have grown, my friendship groups have changed, daily meetings with mum friends at school pick up and drop off slowly shifted to regular meetings at after school activities, then tailed off as kids became more independent and parents’ working patterns changed. Likewise, my work with, and care of, the horses has always been a social undertaking but has become increasingly independent over recent years.
Working as an independent can be very fulfilling and offers choice and freedom. It can also be lonely. I have become increasingly aware of that over the last year and so the word I choose this year is: CONNECT.
As soon as I ‘tasted’ the word as one of my options for this year it felt right. But I was initially unsure whether it would be ‘connect’, ‘connected’ or ‘connection’. After some reflective meditation, connect feels like the best fit right now.
Again there are many facets to the word I’ve chosen. First I like the fact it’s a verb - a doing word as we learnt at school many years ago. That feels empowering. It gives me a sense of agency and creates possibility for me to forge, shape and create connections.
The Cambridge dictionary suggests that ‘connect’ is a verb that denotes to join, to relate or to be in relationship with as well as its more recent technological connectivity. I like that. I appreciate the options and I relish the relatedness.
So my intention for 2025 is to connect, through my work and in my personal life. And also to connect with what’s important to me in terms of meaning and purpose.
I am looking forward to some exciting collaborations, continuing with my work around the Inner Development Goals as part of our Luxembourg Hub and building new connections and collaborations as a Community Climate Coach (Thank you to CELL for the wonderful training). I am also grateful for the beautiful connections I have made, which continue to blossom through the Masters in Mindfulness-Based Approaches at Bangor University.
I am excited about the new direction my studies are taking me in as I explore the intersection between mindfulness, compassion and nature-based therapies. This feels like it is connecting the themes of my areas of professional and personal development over recent years and inviting me to weave a beautiful tapestry which not only honours age old weavers patterns and traditions but also invites vision, creativity and the possibility of creating something that can be both enjoyed and useful to others. That, at least, is my hope and aspiration.
And it goes without saying, at the same time as being important to say out loud, that I plan to create opportunity to enjoy lots of time to connect and I would love to connect with YOU!
If that sounds intriguing, why not book a free 30-minute Clarity Call or invest in a 90-minute Connect coaching session to explore and realise your own goals or maybe to connect with your own word of the year. And if you’d like to explore my free word of the year tool you can access it below as a gift from me to you. I'd love to hear your word.
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