What was the quote or saying that most resonated with you this past year?
I love words, so I love quotes. I love reading a sentence and having it knock me off my feet. I chose to answer the prompt about what I read this year primarily using the quotes the I rolled around in my head after reading. Of course, I have a Pinterest inspiration board because I'm pretty sure they kick you out of the female blogger club if you don't. And then I took all that "let's make everything chalkboard" stuff on Pinterest and combined it with things on my inspiration board and now my room looks like Pinterest and Etsy and IKEA vomited all over it and I kind of think it's AWESOME.
Looking back however, I definitely had three main mantras this year.
1. If this isn't nice, I don't know what is
The full quote is "I urge you to please notice when you are happy and exclaim or murmur or think at some point 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is'". It's Kurt Vonnegut who is absolutely the master of stating things simply and perfectly. I had a lot of moments this year where I thought this, said this or tweeted this. I don't know when or how I trained myself to actually do this, but I highly recommend doing it. For me the moments come when lying in the sun, when the kitchen is quiet and I am focused entirely on my work, when I look out over Central Park from the windows of the Natural History Museum or when I climb up on to my roof and see the Manhattan skyline. They've come when snuggled up in bed with a nice boy, dancing and laughing with friends or sitting watching puppies be silly at the dog park.
It's very possible this will end up tattooed on my body at some point. I could always use a reminder to pause and recognize the good moments.
2. The Serenity Prayer
"God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference". I usually leave the "God" part out because that's not really my style. Mostly I guess I'm just asking the universe, or actually, mostly, I'm asking myself. I like fixing things. I like being in control. Sometimes I can do those things, sometimes I can't. Over analysis is kind of my thing. I find when I'm thinking too much, when I'm too up in my head space, even just a couple of repetitions of "the wisdom to know the difference" helps me clear out the clutter of my mind and regroup. It's been helping me a lot with picking and choosing my battles this year and a lot with letting go.
3. Do Justice. Love Mercy. Walk Humbly.
This is me paraphrasing the bible. Full quote "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?" Micah 6:8. Again, I'm a godless Unitarian hanging out in the compassionate humanist camp, so, y'know, I changed that shit. But you don't have to believe in god to admit that the bible has its moments. I don't think god requires this of me, but I KNOW that I require this of me. Justice, mercy and humility are the lenses I want to live my life through, every day, the best I can. And the next day, better. That's it.
