Share 4 Somethings—January 2024
For the 2024 edition of “Share 4 Somethings,” Jennifer asks us to share each month:
- Something loved and/or disliked
- Something accomplished
- Something improved upon and/or that needs improvement
- Something noticed
I also share my previous month’s One Second Everyday video . . .
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Something Loved
- UNSTICK YOURSELF
I am loving the workbook that my in-person book club is doing this month (thanks, Jenna). It’s called Unstick Yourself by Joy Vetterlein. The subtitle is “Make peace with your religious past, Figure out what you actually believe, Find your own spiritual path forward.”
It’s interesting to hear from each person in our group where they are on their spiritual journey, and it’s been clarifying to think through my own answers as I write them down.
This week’s chapter includes questions like these:
“Are you more drawn to intellectual expressions of spirituality, or experiential expressions? (Both is an acceptable answer too.)”
and
“Imagine your highest self five years from now, feeling confident, grounded and at peace. What does her spirituality look like?”
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Something Accomplished
- ANOTHER YEAR WITH OUR ONE WORD COMMUNITY
I’m excited that our One Word community successfully turned a corner from our 2023 words to our 2024 words. Not everybody chooses to or benefits from having One Word of the Year, so I find it helpful to stay connected with those who do.
If you have chosen One Word of the year, . No rules; no requirements. We’re just here to remind each other to practice our words throughout the year, in whatever ways work best for each of us. You’ll get an email every month with suggestions, and an opportunity to join our One Word Facebook group if you’d like.
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Something that Needs Improvement
- HOMEWORK FOR LIFE
I decided at the beginning of this year to join Gretchen Rubin’s Write 24 in 2024 challenge. It’s an invitation to write (anything!) for 2 to 4 minutes—or for 24 minutes—every day in 2024.
It’s a great idea, and I highly recommend it. But after keeping track of my writing for a few weeks, I discovered I already write every day, so I’m letting go of that challenge.
I’d rather improve on keeping track of Homework for Life. It is Matthew Dicks’ suggestion to jot down a snippet of something from your daily life that feels significant to you. I think of them as my ‘Aha!’ moments, however small.
Watch Matthew Dicks’ TED talk here about “Homework for Life”
I’ve sporadically kept up a spreadsheet with my Homework for Life for the past three years. But last Friday I decided this would be my new daily challenge for awhile.
I’m using this simple Don’t Break the Chain app to keep up with it. Today will be Day 4. Do you have a chain you try not to break? (I had to intentionally break my Duolingo chain when it became too addictive.)
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Something Noticed
- WHERE’S THE POETRY?
I’ve noticed I have NOT started reading poetry like I’d hoped I would in 2024 as part of my year of Curiosity.
So when I came across this Poem-a-Day email subscription last week from the Academy of American Poets, I signed up. I don’t intend to read them daily (sometimes they’re so long or too confusing!), but I do read them a few times a week now, which is a big change for me.
I’ve also noticed (thanks to Jean’s poetry post here) that I haven’t yet written a poem in 2024. My goal this year is to write one poem per month.
So here’s my January poem centered on Aspiration, my focus for Curiosity the past two weeks.
He asks my aspiration
I search the question before
I muse my answer
‘A strong desire
To achieve something;
Also to draw breath’
Most important to me
Is to be Love
To you on your path, to me on mine
Yet to love better
My midway aspiration
Is to mend softly into wholeness
The more I heal
The more I breathe
Love in and out, Love in and out
What is something you are loving, accomplishing, improving, or noticing here at the beginning of 2024?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
love this post and thanks for the mention. I enjoyed listening to Matthew Dicks Homework for Life video. Such a great idea and I do love stories. I think my writing a poem most days, captures some of his practice but not as thoroughly. I may have to try this!
Unstick Yourself sounds like a great practical read…and quite beneficial.
Thanks for sharing your one second a day video. Your little guy is so adorable!
Great job with your poem! The poem delivery sounds like the perfect low stress way to add in more poetry– and I totally agree that there is no need to read them all.
I am not much of a poetry reader or writer, LOL! I did read a book of poetry this year, but didn’t enjoy it all that much. So, at least I am trying to read a little outside of my comfort zone. I think it’s great to let go of a challenge that you do not think will benefit you. I let go of all challenges this year because I need it to be a less pressure year (mostly reading challenges, but still). I hope you have a great week!
I always love the monthly videos. I want to work in more time for writing–at least for the book project. I tend to do a lot of writing for the blog and communication. I’m still not sure how to go about it. Our schedule, so far, isn’t the kind where I can stake out a regular weekly time for writing. I tend to read and comment on blogs first, then write–I’m thinking maybe I should reverse that.
I love the idea of a poem a day and I subscribed one year.
AND what did I tell you? You ARE a poet, Miss Lisa! So there!!!!
I love this: it’s thoughtful, not just prose w/ line breaks (as some so-called poets, IMHO, are loathe to do), and contains metaphor, a lovely lilt, deeper meaning, *and* that lovey surprise insight poets find:
“The more I heal
The more I breathe
Love in and out, Love in and out”
And I like your use of the poetic device of repetition for emphasis!
Oh may we all but breathe love in and live it out!
Tres bien fait! Can’t wait to read more.
xo
Lynn
I love your poem, Lisa! These are great practices you’ve highlighted here. I haven’t felt my own poetic muse lately, but reading a poem a day (week) could be very inspirational in that department.
Blessings!
I haven’t read poetry in a long time, but I love it. I need to start doing that again. Thanks for the reminder. Visiting from Happy Hearts & Home linkup.
Love your poem Lisa! And I so enjoy your 1sec videos. I’m going to join up with Linda’s book club. I think I can be more accountable, and it will be fun with friends.
visiting today from Jennifer’s
xo
You have lots of inspiring focus activities going on, Lisa! You have inspired me. My word this year is Relax. I can try to do too much. My husband says I need a 36 hour day, instead of 24 hours. And then I get pressured up. Only God can release my pressure, so I relax in Him instead of the check marks on my lists. So, I love your “draw breath” imagery in your poem. Draw a breath in of His love. Beautiful.
I have signed up with Gretchen Rubin and with poem-a-day! 😀
The Write 24 in 2024 challenge sounds perfect for me. I need encouragement to write more often and rebuild my confidence.
“Homework for Life” is intriguing. How is it different form just keeping a diary? Is the idea to diarise “in the moment” so you have per-moment entries instead of per-day entries?
If poem-a-day is all contemporary and American it might not do your curiosity justice. When our son was tiny and I didn’t have time or focus to read a book, I made my way (slowly) through a beefy anthology. Lot of variety, strange and familiar. I’ve got my eye on a couple of anthologies of Christian poetry for later this year.
I love this phrase — “mend softly into wholeness”. Your writing is an adventure and beautiful to witness! I’m sure you will have a fine ear for the poetry you read.
Loved your video Lisa! ☺️ I’m finding my WOTY Change intriguing atm.
blessings, Jennifer
These are great ideas and aspirations, I love challenging myself. Your poem was wonderful, thank you for sharing. Thank you for linking up with Hearts & Homes, I hope to see you again this week.