This. This is what I need to tell myself every day.
Quit being so hard on yourself! Beating yourself up doesn’t help your writing, and negative self-talk creates its own downward spiral. Turn away from that spiral. Just be about what’s on the page.
At myoneword.org, readers are encouraged to ditch the long list of new year’s resolutions and instead choose one word to focus on all year long, one word to inspire you, one word that encapsulates the character you want to have.
I’ve chosen grace.
There are so many reasons:
1) I need so much grace from God. Every single day.
2) I need to give myself grace. I’m a perfectionist, and I can be very hard on myself. This year, I want to give myself more grace. This is not the same thing as allowing myself to slack off. Instead, it’s practicing kindness and generosity toward myself, especially in my writing.
3) I desperately want to grow in extending grace to others. I have been shown such an abundance of undeserved favor; I want to turn that around and show that to others.
2014, I hope and pray, will be a year full of black and white and also so many shades of gray, which help me to be more gracious, to value mercy from others and offer it freely, and to wield generosity as best as I can.
Original image from weheartit.com, edited at picmonkey.com.
Friends, you’ll be happy to know that I ended up rather enjoying my New Year’s Eve. My best friend Erica came over, we snagged dinner at Cafe Latte, then watched season one of Downton Abbey from my trusty ol’ couch. We also ate cake. Best friend therapy? Cake therapy? Lovely. Both at once? Dynamite.
This morning, when I opened up my eyes, the clouds were gone from my head. I lay in bed, assessing my thoughts: do I feel sad? No. Do I feel excited about life? Yeah, actually. Do I feel ready to write? Interestingly, yes.
Praise the Lord.
I ate lunch with Desiree, which was lovely since we haven’t had many opportunities to really catch up since she got married and moved out. I love that lady so much. So wise, beautiful, loving, funny. And did I mention that she gave me the newly redesigned/repackaged Harry Potter series? Safe to say I freaked out. Roommate therapy? Yes please.
Then I headed over to Tracy’s house. Tracy, as you may recall, is my college roomie who is mother to the three most special girls on planet earth. I told her to warn the girls that I would need hugs and cuddles. Let me tell you, I don’t think there was a better way to start 2014 than to have Emma (6) snuggled into my left side and Ava (3) snuggled into my right and Elsie (almost 2) with us on the couch while we watched Home Alone. Cuddle therapy? These girls have have my heart. Just what I needed.
I’m so, so glad that the numbness and sadness of yesterday feel as if they’ve been flung from me. It was a lie. I’m recognizing the truth again today.
Happy new year, everyone.
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 