Bluebirdbaby: A Year of Choice

February 02, 2011

A Year of Choice

Many people have e-mailed me asking if I was going to do another 30 Day of Beauty challenge. I thought about it long and hard. I wanted to, but something was holding me back. Perhaps I needed more of a challenge, perhaps I didn't have the time now to commit to a post everyday, or maybe I was just such in a good rhythm with blogging, that I didn't want to mess with it.

So much in my life has shifted and changed, even since the last 30 Days of Beauty challenge. I began thinking about all we've been through, everything everyone's been through, and realized that I needed to take it in another direction. Life just keeps on happenin'. Everyday, heck...every second, something happens in your life that gives you a choice. A choice between acceptance and gratitude, or misery and unhappiness.

It could be as simple as "Oh dear...we're out of coffee." Or something as serious as a life threatening disease. But, as humans, we have the remarkable option of choice. All in how we deal with whatever is handed to us.

I'm very mindful of the choice I have everyday. It's much more on my mind these days than the beauty I have learned to find everywhere, even in the midst of February in Maine. Making a conscious effort to pick our of the "postive jar" instead of the "negative jar" anytime life throws something not so cool in your face can really be empowering.

We have the option of choosing happiness, joy, love, and goodness. And I know that sometimes choosing to wallow in our pain and misfortune seems so much easier and sometimes much needed. Been there. Done that. And this is exactly why I need this challenge. I was that happy, bubbly person who didn't seem to be brought down by life's hardships. A co-worker once said, "Despite the crap you've been through, you are the happiest and most positive person I know." That stuck with me. I liked hearing that. But then life kept on coming and kept hitting us at every angle possible, and I began to weaken under the weight of its, excuse my language, shit. And I start noticing myself, drained energy and all, falling for that misery. Which is SO not cool!

Then I'm reminded every single day I come on here, that I can choose. And that's what I do. I consistently choose, because that's our gift. And I don't want to waste such a wonderful gift as that. Would you?!

So this isn't a 30 day challenge, but rather a challenge for the year. It doesn't have to be daily or weekly. I want it to be genuine and totally in the moment. Post about your choices and how they have affected your life. Post about joy or happiness. Post about awesomeness in the midst of hardship. Or just post about awesomeness because it's there. Post about a cup of coffee that saved a hard morning or the glass of wine that saved a hard day. Or the knitting that brings you back to your joy several times throughout the day.

And all of this is tied into joy, beauty, happiness, and mindfulness. There are so many ways to go about it. And at the root of it all is choice.

I don't even know which direction my posts will head, but I do know that I sat down to write this without a single idea in mind and look what came out. Oh yes, a year of choice. That's exactly what I need.

Will you join me? Let's make 2011 a year of choice which will bring joy and happiness and beauty in its path.

I've made a blog button for anyone who joins. Here's the code!