Thursday, December 31, 2009

12 Personal Highlights from the Past 12 Months

1) Intentions: I set an intention for 2009 to live my life more boldly, fully and freely. (I also started my blog and joined Twitter to share, connect, and grow with other free spirits.)
2) Celebrations: I honored Kestan on his big, first birthday,
and celebrated 6 years of marriage to this awesome guy.
3) Gained Insight: I learned a great lesson on this wonderful, summer day, from my sweet little boy, about Going Shoeless.  I also reread Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, and listened to his podcasts. I discovered Oprah's Soul Series, and enjoyed the teachings of Wayne Dyer, Rev. Ed Bacon, Elizabeth Lesser, and so many others.
4) Wellness:  Enjoyed abundant tomatoes in our garden, perfected my hummus recipe, and experimented with gluten-free cooking.  Loved dancing at Zumba each week and occasionally hit a yoga class.
5) Inspiration: I had the privilege of participating in some amazing on-line courses that made me see things in a new way. From Elise's Get Crafty class, I was reminded to see the special details in the everyday. In Lisa's Visual Journals workshop, I was reminded how journaling has always been a huge part of my life and creative process, and her insight helped me embrace myself as an entrepreneur.  SARK's Juicy Journaling simply reminded me just how much I love SARK.  She has always been a source of inspiration to me. In fact, for years, I used to say, "I want to live a SARK lifestyle."  (Like keeping time by the amount of tea cups you've used, or taking naps every day!)  I actually started living the lifestyle I've always dreamed of, and SARK is one person who's helped me get there.  (During her course, I got to personally thank her, which was a very special moment for me.)
 
6) Risk-Taking:  I left a consistently paying job to become a stay-at-home and work-from-home mom.  Getting my Iphone allowed me to go mobile.  I was able to keep Kestan out of daycare and merge my personal career goals with being a hands-on mommy.
 
7) Pure Love:  In October, we celebrated my gorgeous sister's magical marriage ceremony to her wonderful husband, Matt.  My husband took the photos, my brother's band played the music, and many family and friends lent their helping hands.  It truly was a family affair, and the most beautiful celebration of what it means to love another.
8) Creativity:  Enjoyed a creatively inspiring month of making art EVERY day, and joined the Create Every Day group for next year.  I reconnected to a deep longing to paint.  It was a transformative experience for me, one that opened my heart and reminded me what it means to trust.  Thanks, Leah!
9) Abundance:  I started my Etsy shop. (and made some sales!)
10) Connection:  I created, developed and opened registration for my first ever e-course:  Inside Out - A Creative Adventure of Self-Discovery. This is a whole new journey for me, one that makes me feel as though every cell in my body is radiating with excitement and happiness. (And, a little scary, too!)
11) Joy:  The joy I feel about being a mother is somewhat indescribable.  What I can say is that spending the days with my little guy is a great gift.  I am full of gratitude for an amazing holiday season, with Kestan's first knowledge of "anta, and more snow than we've had in years - sledding and snowman making galore!  Watching him grow is like Christmas everyday.

12) Space: I introduced Reduce Clutter; Create Space 2010 and was overwhelmed by the response from other like-minded souls who want to take this journey with me.  I invite this new year, as a year to simplify, to reduce, and to make S P A C E for what's most important.

Whoa.  It's been a big year.  Now, I sit back.  I take a big breath.  I exhale fully and smile.  And, now it seems, a nap is a really good idea.

Happy new year to each of you!

Your Personal Reflection: What are YOUR highlights and celebrations of this past year? 

8 comments:

  1. Oh, I loved reading this! So much to be happy about! I started reading a New Earth a few months ago and i am slowing getting through it. I love it so much, but books like these generally take me a long time to get through! My kids and I sat down and wrote a list of our hightlights from 2009. Most of them including fun trips we took, outside fun, getting ear's pierced, and, of course, hubby quitting his banking job to come work for HMM!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a joy-filled year. I got a little teary reading it! So glad to have met you, Shannon. May your 2010 be filled with bliss! xox

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, Shannon, what an incredibly full inspiring year you've had. Laying it out like this is amazing. So proud of your determination and growth!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a year you had!

    It is fun to look back at all the wonderful things the past year has held.

    And then start planning for the next.....

    {Which, in my case, will hopefully be a lot less clutter!}

    Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow. Your post is so inspiring, Shannon! I love the pictures, love thaty you're taking chances, and love that you're smart enough to surround yourself with people who love you and are good for you! Doesn't hurt that you're doing a good job of living in the moment too!

    Best wishes for Oh-Ten!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Ok, first of all, LOVED that video!!! WOW, it made me light up and want to celebrate life.

    What a fantastic year you have had. So many great achievements, so much love. You are blessed with so much talent and a beautiful, beautiful family.

    Here's to an exciting new journey in 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks to each and every one of your for your mindful, kind comments! What a joy to hear from you. I'm grateful to have connected and look forward to more fun, and to see all the fun YOU will be doing in 2010.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Shannon, the more I read your blog posts, the more I love you. I admire how you live in a constant state of creativity and am hoping that through your eCourse I too learn to take advantage of the beauty around me and share it with the world through my writing and picture taking. Thank you for being SUCH an inspiration to me. I ADORE you. XO

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for sharing!