'Lighthearted', 'Reiki Principles', 'A Precious Human Life', and 'Being Peace' - words, quotes, intentions, affirmations; and all that I'm nurturing and growing this year.

Lighthearted is my word for 2019. I have it up on the wall above the window in my bedroom, and when I see it, it reminds me to lift my spirits, to smile, to be gentle, and fun, to nurture my soul, and let my dreams fly.

I thank my Reiki I teacher, Roseleen McNally, of Thirsty Soul in Dublin, for the initial inspiration. As part of her recent (Christmas 2018) 12 days of Reiki series, on the first day, which was about intentions, she asked readers to: 'Choose one word that embodies how you want to feel this holiday season.'

And that was when the word 'Lighthearted' came to me. That was just one little part of the 12 days of Reiki but it made such an impact. The rest of the series was also wonderful, but that one question brought me my word and that word carried me through the holiday period, which I do often find very stressful with so much on, all the busyness and pressure, and especially the rampant unavoidable consumerism that is so hard to not get depressed about at that time of year...

And then local naturopath and healer Annabel Mason of Blossom Wellbeing sent an email early in the new year about choosing a word instead of 'should do' resolutions, or long and complicated intentions for 2019. And I thought - Yes! I will keep this word going as a focus.

Last year it took my until Celtic New Year at our southern Samhain in May to really focus in on my intentions for the coming year, so I may again find time for a deeper reflection later on, but I just love the simplicity of having one word as my focus for 2019.

I asked a couple of my dearest friends, my moon sister musketeers, if they would also like to choose a word (or two, as they felt!) and join me for a day of Touch For Health balances and 'Word Art', for our words. I was so pleased that we managed to actually have the chance to do all this in amongst the joy and chaos of having our three young 2 ¾ year olds plus baby on the scene. Gratitude for dear beloved helping care for the littlies along with my two mama friends while we took turns doing balances and art.

My friends chose the beautifully meaningful words Release and Renew; and Trust. Wow. I love the depth and power each single word can contain.

We held our art day, after a little delay picking a date that worked for all, on the 24th of January, and it took me a little while after that to then finally complete my word art, working alongside my big little, well focussed on her own art. And then some more days passed, and I was initially berating myself a little for taking so long following our art session to get to the point of actually putting it up in my view (and then days again before writing this...), but then I realised that I have all year with this word. And the point isn't to embody it instantly, immediately, now. Rather, it's a work in progress.

I like the idea of working with this word, bringing it more and more into my awareness, and it being something that grows over the course of the year as I practice aligning with it. Rather than something I step into being 100% and have to stick to 100%, instead, something that grows in my being as I learn more how to embody it and bring it in to my life in fullness.

And yay for that.

So here is the art I made of my word as it is above our bedroom window, deliciously imperfect, as art perhaps should be; my art certainly is anyway, and that's ok. Here above the window in our bedroom it is in full view as I wake up and begin my day and as I ready myself for sleep as the day ends. And slowly but surely I am practising remembering it. Finding my way back to it when I sink out of it. Discovering more to it as I go. A process ongoing, a process to embrace, and to enjoy as it continues to elate me.

Seeing my word up on my wall has already been such a lovely experience, and I so enjoyed the process of decorating it, that some days later on a somewhat less lighthearted and more grumpy sort of a morning, when I happened to have a brief quiet moment and felt drawn, perfectly, to pick up 'Being Peace' by Thich Nhat Hanh, I decided to also illustrate two quotes from that book that felt like just what I needed that day, and put them up also, above the two windows of our living area.

These join the Dalai Lama's 'Precious Human Life' and the 5 Reiki Precepts or Principles, which also reside by our bedroom window, either side, as powerful regular reminders to bring into my everyday life.

We have had a recent challenging phase again in our family, with new teeth, colds, bad sleep, some sibling rivalry, and, for beloved, knee surgery and subsequent recovery, and I have found having these reminders brought to my daily awareness especially invaluable as I navigate my way through these days that push me to my limits and test me to become ever stronger.

What are some of your favourite quotes, words, inspirations, affirmations? Do you have any resolutions, or intentions set for this year? Do you have one word (or a few) that you would you choose for this year, to grow into as the year continues?

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Meanwhile, after coming out of that crazy chaos that is the holiday season, we are slowly settling into our routine for the year, and I have started studying, with gusto. 

In a joy of perfect timing, my Reiki teacher, the insightful Jenny Cameron of Bringelli Natural Therapies, was ready to begin a year of mentorship for me to complete my Reiki Level III, Master and Teacher Level. We have had several sessions together already and today I received my first attunement, a powerful and humbling experience. I feel gratitude for the privilege and honour of continuing the work with the Reiki energy, following a lineage that has great depth. 

Earlier in the year I also completed a free online Masterclass series on The Art of Card Reading, run by Hay House, which opened me up to even more of the possibilities of using the cards with others to share messages of guidance. 

And after putting a lot of consideration into all the other exciting options that are available for ongoing development, I have also started studying a Diploma of Counselling, through the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. It is an online and self-paced course with regular practical seminars to consolidate the learning, and I am glad to have found a course that I can work with around my family responsibilities. I have successfully completed one unit so far, and I am proud of my focus and commitment to make this progress already. I am very much enjoying the process of learning in itself, and also the content of the course, which brings together a lot of different aspects from my previous personal experience and professional learning. So I am excited to add this piece into the array of skills, knowledge and experience that I can offer to share with others. I am excited also for how this course will support me personally as I learn and practice skills such as communication and conflict resolution, and consider different ways to support people to move towards their goals and towards greater wellbeing, and at the same time, put these techniques into practice for myself.

I am also excited to work with others to support me in my personal development as well, as I consider it an essential part of life ongoing to practise self-care for myself, and also enlisting the support of others so that I can reach new levels that I would not manage to attain alone. So I will shortly be booking in a Reiki session for myself with my Reiki teacher; and I am looking forward to an upcoming session of Relationship Counselling for beloved and I to ensure we keep our relationship strong, close, positive, and moving always forward together. I will also soon work out a date to have a session with the fabulous Michelle Fortuna, Intuitive Consultant, in the near future also, and I hope to squeeze in some work on her Intuitive Development course that I have long planned to do, in amongst it all!

Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, beloved and I recently together pored over some library books with some great insights and suggestions for positive, gentle, empathetic parenting and we will have the opportunity to attend courses on parenting this year as well, to support us to work towards being the best parents we can be for our two small precious angel treasures, who are growing and changing every day, and bringing us along with them!

So here's to a Lighthearted 2019, a year of learning, and of Living Lightly With Love. (A perfect complement as I realised retrospectively!)