Review, Reflect, Renew

Wendy lee Lynds is my guest blogger today. Enjoy!

I know, I know. The above three words cause you to pucker up all your parts, huh? Haven’t you heard this theme ad nauseam for the last couple of months as we hurtled towards 2012? Please know that you are not alone. I’m kinda sick of hearing it, too -  And here I am bringing it up again! 

I have had a lovely tradition to the Oregon coast for my annual musings in December. This year the right-on-the-beach home near Cannon Beach that I had free access to is no longer available. So what to do? You may suggest I just carve out some time in my domicile to look over my notes and gather my thoughts for the coming year. Or you may point out that I could head to the library with pens, paper and laptop and do some reflection there. And you would be right - all those are solutions could work. But then my ktichen would call to me to dust off my spice rack. The laundry basket would call to me and then the thirteen emails I have in my inbox MUST be answered this very instant and the pups are sweetly yammering to be let out. You get my drift? Home, wonderfully tranquil oasis that it is, isn’t the best venue to do my hunkering down. And let’s not forget that the library frowns on my pink penguin pajamas! The fact that it is now January 22nd and I have not reviewed, reflected on or renewed anything and it is troubling.

So, what’s a gal to do? What’s so bad about not doing the aforementioned tasks in a timely-before-the-end-of-the year fashion? For me? I get to feeling uprooted, unfocused, outta step, feeling the dingy shifting under my feet and I still have my land legs. The answer? To breathe and realize that nothing is wrong with that. Not a thing in the world

The fight and the trouble and the shifting ground is totally my mind squawking in response to “This is how it is done. This is how “other” people handle their lives. This is the standard by which I should live” and I am now choosing to respond with a wholehearted cry of PHOOEY. I haven’t walked to the beat of the local drummer since birth, why should I now?

So, here’s what I figure; the time has not run out for taking an heartfelt look at where I wanted to go last year and the steps I took to achieve my goals. Time has not run out on adding up the proactive-actions and being proud. Time has not run out for me to list what I did well and what I could do better towards my desires. Time has not run out to open up and dare to dream a bit - to see what I can envision for my future. 

Fact is, I can RRR anytime dang time i want to. There is no magic formula of guaranteed success by whipping out my list, having my entire life mapped out by December 31st. 

So, dear readers, this is my plan: enjoying some time with my “bestie” from Southern California, finish a couple of collages for the Northwest Collage Society, putting the finishing touches for an art workshop on designing personal “Vision Boards”. That’s all I have to do for the next two weeks. And when the running is done, I will take a couple of deep breaths, ignore the laundry and the yelling spice rack, pat the heads of my lovable pups and hole up in my office - happily tackling the 3 R’s in my pink penguin pajamas!And I ain’t talking “Readin, ’Riting and ‘Rithmetic”! How’s about you?

Wendy Lee Lynds lives on a beautiful island in Washington state. She is studying to be a life coach (challenging), throws around paint, paper and glue (messy) and generally still wonders what she will do with her life (growth-producing). She has a blog which she hasn’t touched in months, no website and no deadline on either. She happily knows there is a right time for everything and the year has only just begun! If you want to chat - she’d love to hear of your plans for 2012! Wendy Lee can be reached at:   coachwendy@whidbey.com