My Theme for 2015

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards.” ― G.K. Chesterton

It's the first day of 2015, and as I sit here writing, I am deep in contemplation over what the last year wrought, and what I want to see happen in this new one. In my last post, I alluded to the fact that 2014 was a challenging  year for me. I'm not going to focus on it, as the year is gone and I'm in a much better place than I was this time last year. Valuable lessons were learned from the experiences of the last two years, and mostly, they were about me not setting and keeping boundaries in my life; particularly when it comes to those closest to me. I lost a lot in learning those lessons, but I gained even more valuable wisdom, and I'm getting better with each test.  .

I'll be 52 in a few weeks. For a lot of people, particularly in western society, it's depressing to get older. For me, it's an honor and a privilege. Not everyone makes it to 52. I'm now, officially, into menopause. This means that I'm very close to the time of "Cronehood". I plan to own this like a boss.

'Crone' is a derogatory term in our youth-oriented society. But, I see it as the containment of power and wisdom. This ties in with the lessons that I've learned in the last year. I'll no longer be leaking or inadvertently giving away my power to others. My children are all old enough to care for themselves. My grandchildren have parents to care for them. It's time for me to begin to focus on what legacy I want to leave behind on a personal level, rather than through the lives I've assisted others in building. Soon, I'll share power and wisdom only at my own discretion- it's a very empowering thought.

My entire life has been spent in the service of family, community and country. Now, I want to focus a year on my own personal relationship with my deithe* and myself. I want to hone the draiocht** within, and to strengthen my mind, body and spirit. I'm going to take my own advice and be my own best friend this year. We're going to do a lot of hanging out together and with the Morrighan. It's time I deepened my relationship with her, as I don't know how many more seasons I have until She meets me to take me to the Otherworld. I'd like her to meet an old friend, rather than a mere acquaintance.

I like the Chesterton quote. The new year always brings the sense of shedding old skin and starting fresh. I'm not going to do resolutions or goals this year. I'm going to go with a theme instead. My theme is going to be "Dauntless."

Dauntless definition: showing fearlessness and determination.
"dauntless bravery"
synonyms: fearless, determined, resolute, indomitable, intrepid, doughty, plucky, spirited, mettlesome.



Here's how I'm going to help myself build this theme:

• Create a Pinterest board, much like a dream board to help me with my theme. Let me know if you're doing that too. I'd love to see it!

• The Dauntless Year Jar. I'm taking a jar, decorating it, and putting the dauntless things that I do throughout the year into it. At the end of this year, I'll compile and review them. I think it'll be a great exercise.

• Blogging: I already started this part. I reinstated my personal blog. It's always helped me to vent, and to write better. 

• Writing: I'm going to write at least one book this year. 

• Teaching: I'll be creating at least one class to teach in the Spring via Imramma.

• Routine: I'm going to establish a scheduled routine for things like meditation, exercise, etc... as a creature of habit, that'll be a huge assist in staying on track.

• "Me days": I'm taking one day a month to do something special, just for me. No regrets, no guilt, no worries. 

How about you? What's your New Year Theme?

If you need help with that, here's a helpful link to get you started:
http://www.mychicagotherapist.com/replace-your-new-years-resolution-with-a-theme/


* Gaelic term for what most people would call gods/goddesses. The  terms is similar, but different in meaning and does not translate well.

**Gaelic for magic.