So, I’m been drowning in work of late and thought I could benefit from an exercise that would take my thinking to a more magnanimous, expansive place. To that end, I am pulling out a journal prompt that I sometimes use in workshops. I give some leading words and you finish the thought. Hope you’ll share your’s here (my answers are below).
[LOVING]: my new passionfruit body butter from The Body Shop.
[NOTICING]: how fortunate I am- a sweet family, good friends, work that makes my heart happy.
[APPRECIATING]: what a great partner BF is. I’ll be drowning in work and travel over the next few weeks, and he takes it in stride and gives me his full support.
[ANTICIPATING]: the sweet relief of the other side of busy-ness
[LOOKING]: to live the life I desire in just the right balance for me
[THINKING]: about deliberate professional choices
[ENJOYING]: conversations with Happy. He’s just so fun to talk to right now and our conversations are often such a delightful surprise.
[WISHING]: for synergy and energy to come together around some professional ideas that have me excited
[WELCOMING]: the gorgeous, crispness of fall
Loving: All the pumpkin fragranced products in the stores right now! From candles to hand sanitizer!
Noticing: How everything is starting to fade. Fall is upon us!
Appreciating: Time spent with family and good friends.
Anticipating: Big changes on the way.
Looking: For a good fit.
Thinking: About way too much!
Enjoying: Time to spend doing all of the above!
Wishing: For things to fall into place well.
Welcoming: Fall weather.
Oh, Kip, and I love eating pumpkin all fall. Yum. I’m wishing, too, for all those pieces to fall just perfectly for you!
I added [ACCEPTING] and [LISTENING] to mine…
[LOVING]: my new blog header. crossword puzzles. simple acts of kindness. the sounds of the washing machine and dishwasher. chocolate chip cookies. experimenting with new relationship approaches with my body.
[NOTICING]: changing seasons. what water really FEELS like. light and darkness, literal and metaphorical.
[APPRECIATING]: the texture of spaghetti. a week of relative solitude. singers with passionate, soulful voices. acupuncture.
[ANTICIPATING]: finding out whether i will get a job offer that i’m really hoping for. figuring out the last theme clue in the crossword i’m working on. seeing whether i will really do all the things on my to-do list today.
[LOOKING]: for connection. at how much more pleasant the world is when there are lovely colors. into the fuzziness of future.
[THINKING]: about how fucked up our species is and what we might do to redeem ourselves. about how we can still create so much beauty even as we create so much violence.
[ACCEPTING]: my body and all its quirks. the not-knowing of anything beyond right-now. enjoyable sensations in my body.
[ENJOYING]: food. friendship. writing. solitude. music. reading.
[WISHING]: for a house elf to clean up after me. for my busted ankle to get better. for good news about the job i want.
[WELCOMING]: my muses. my passion. nourishing words, sounds, friends, dreams. a healthy relationship with my body and with my bank account. suitable weather for leaving all the windows open.
[LISTENING]: to: ed sheeran, sarah maclachlan, mike doughty, sarah bareilles, ingrid michaelson, songs i recorded when i was younger. to the sounds of my apartment. to the people riding and walking on the bike trail outside.
Just lovely, Oliver, and I really like your additions of accepting and listening. Lots of your phrases resonated with and inspired me. Good luck on the job front!