It's been quite a day/week. I struggled with "what is" and then chose to move forward. Moving forward sometimes means taking a few steps backward in the process.

Arising from the massage table (first massage in over a year), this was the first thing I saw. It stopped me in my tracks. Oh yeah. I forgot. "Life is what it is until you decide whether you like it or not."

This is such a powerful reminder. I hope it speaks to you as much as it did to me. 

Stay tuned for a revamped website. The Art of Possibility, my coaching business will be renting some space from Autism with Attitude soon.

Happy New Year!

I've enjoyed hearing about your WORDS for 2014. The spirit coming from your feedback on yesterday's blog has been energizing and inspiring.

Here are some more thoughts on ONE WORD from Christine Kane's blog:

"Let's say you are one of the many people who would normally choose "Get Organized." You look around to see clutter all over your life. You're tired of the chaos. So, you think, "I need to get organized. That should be my Resolution this year."

But then you read this blog. You decide to try it.

You sit with your clutter. You spend a few days pondering words that will inspire you. You realize in an "Ah-Ha!" moment that you tend to cling to lots of things. You're scared to let go. So you choose the word "Release" because it inspires you in a bigger way than "Get organized."

So, every time you approach your clutter you remind yourself of that word. "Release," you say softly. You start to let the clutter go. Eventually, you realize that you're still holding on to lots more than just physical clutter. You realize that you hold onto resentment at old relationships. "Release," you remind yourself. You realize that holding on is affecting your diet and health. "Release" applies to some of the extra weight you've gained as well. Throughout the year, you can see clearly how much you hold on. "Release" is your touchstone. It grows you throughout the year. It becomes your guiding force, not your harsh standard.

Your clutter became your teacher simply because you shifted your intent towards it. This wouldn't have happened if you'd opted only to "Get Organized."

What word to choose?

Many people know immediately which word resonates with them. For others, a little contemplation is required.

I've compiled a list of possible words below. As you read through them, see if one stands out for you."

Compassion

Delight

Generosity

Effortlessness

Wealth

Gratitude

Abundance

Creativity

Willingness

Change

Growth

Freedom

Mastery

Kindness

Health

Presence

Acceptance

Courage

Confidence

Self-Love

Action

Forgiveness

Forgive

Release

Trust

Knowing

Patience

Friendship

Fun

Grace

Laughter

Love

Expansion

Exploration

Adventure

Openness

Discipline

Awe

Awareness

Risk

Gentleness

Choice

Spirit

Prayerfulness

Power

Allow

Artfulness

Attention

Beauty

Joy

Focus

Ritual

Heal

Order

Clarity

Pioneer

Peace

Laziness

No

Yes

Deliberateness

Commitment

Savor

Integrity

Listen

This is a great list. Is there anything here that resonates with you? How will you inspire yourself to keep your word in the forefront of your busy life? If you're into Pinterest (I know, I know another potential social media obesession risk), you might want to periodically search your word there for inspiration and motivation.  Or, if you're into journaling, it's a great place to check in with yourself on your word.

I challenge you to take this word and run with it all the way to the end of 2014.

Here's my first pin for DARE....

I tried to post this yesterday but my website was down. Now it's up. So subscribers, please forgive the duplicate email. Just consider it a reminder :-)

It's that time of year again.... the last day of the old and precipice of the new. December 31 is bittersweet with anticipation of what's to come tinged with a little bit of sadness in leaving a year behind, never to have the time back again. I've had both the bitter and the sweet this year and have grown to be a better person one moment at a time because of both.

Life coaching has steered me away from this blog but I am still here plugging away at the journey of being mom to adults while also reinventing myself. I am learning a lot in my coach training program that I plan to share with the autism world. Many of the concepts and tools are an expansion of the attitude I've been cultivating and writing about for a long time. I'm very excited about the possibility of directly helping others with my new coaching skills.

Once again, I am sharing the concept of ONE WORD as an intention for the New Year. The response to this the last three years has been very positive and inspiring. I hope your word was helpful to you if you had one. My word, challenge, was definitely a fun, and yes, "challenging", learning experience for me. I was perfectly imperfect at most of the monthly challenges I set up for myself. Then, in the summer life threw me so many challenges, I could not handle any more. When things calmed down I found it difficult to get back on track for a few months. I struggled with my commitment (or lack of) until December. I ended the year with a bang. See "Loving December" on Pinterest.

Many people are thinking about or writing New Year's Resolutions. Personally, I prefer the "intention" vs the "resolution". Resolution is "the action of solving", therefore resolutions tend to focus on problems in our lives that need to be solved. Typically, what is wrong with us, and how can we fix ourselves. They usually don't lead to lasting changes and are often quickly abandoned.

Intention is "the determination to act in a certain way". Intentions are about becoming aware of different ways that you would prefer to be in your life.

Recently, someone introduced me to the idea of ONE WORD intentions. She told me she had picked "less" for herself last year. Less weight, less worrying, less rushing... you get the idea.

I really like the idea of one word. Clean and simple, and potentially very powerful. I just found a great explanation on Christine Kane's blog.

"The reason most resolutions don't work is that they address only one level of your life. The DO level. It's the DO-HAVE-BE model. "I will DO this thing." (i.e., Lose weight) "So I can HAVE this other thing" (Self-Esteem) and I can BE this thing. (Confident.)

The average New Year's Resolution doesn't address the core of the issue - the "BE" level.

The best order for creating positive changes in your life is the BE-DO-HAVE model. This means you start from the BE level. When you begin changing on the BE level of your life, then the DO level and the HAVE level follow more easily.

When you start only on the DO level, then all the blocks on the BE level will often become the obstacles you can't overcome.

Several years ago, my friend and I decided that, instead of making resolutions, we would pick a word that would guide us throughout the year. It would be our touchstone. It would remind us of living our lives at the BE level.

This didn't mean that we didn't take action. It meant that our actions were inspired from the BE level. In fact, I took more action than ever with this new approach!"

BE, DO, HAVE. I really like that!

I invite you to get quiet over the next few days, go within, and pick a word for the year. Just one word. That's all. Then, hold that word in your mind throughout the year, and let your word guide you to take action. What a powerful New Year's ritual!

My word for 2014? DARE. Dare has an edginess to it that I am drawn to this year. Dare is about living fully, living mindfully, vs coasting mindlessly through life. Dare is about realizing the clock is always ticking and it is time to take a chance and be willing to step out of my circle of comfort. Dare includes challenges, doing new things, asking more questions, and creating new habits that make life even richer.

Can you tell that I am excited about DARE?

What's YOUR word going to be this year? Please let me know if you have chosen one. You inspire me.

Farewell 2013.. you've thrown me around a bit and reminded me of what's truly important here on earth. Here's to LIFE and LIVING FULLY each day!

2014: Bring it on!

Happy New Year.