Reverb10: Adding My Voice to the Mix

Hi All- One of my favorite annual traditions is to reflect on the year I’m finishing and set some intentions for the year ahead.  This year I happened to stumble across a really great tool that is facilitating the process for me.  It’s an online writing initiative titled #Reverb10.

So what is it?  Basically, #Reverb10 is an online initiative that encourages participants to reflect on the year past and manifest what’s next for them.  Essentially, it’s an opportunity to consider the reverberations of your past year, and be intentional about those you’d like to create in the year ahead.

This process is facilitated using a question a day from 31 different authors.  Each day has a specific theme to it, which you’ll see noted below.  The questions (or prompts, as they call them) can be found here: THE PROMPTS.  Each one is meant to cause reflection on a different aspect of your life and help you determine if you’d like to shift anything about that area in 2011.

I just found out about this initiative recently, so I’m already a few days behind.  I’ll most likely be posting once or twice a week throughout December and answering 5 questions per post.  Many people are posting everyday and a big part of the dialogue is going on via Twitter.  Love it, love it, love it!  Do check out the website, especially if you’re needing a little introspection around this time of year….

My Reverbs

December 1 – Theme of the Day: One Word.  Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

For 2010 my word was TRUST.  Trust that I could find my way as a entrepreneur.  Trust that I could lean into my new marriage for anything I needed.

For 2011 my word (actually a phrase) is INSPIRED ACTION.  I’m tired of copycatting instead of creating, following the herd instead of charting my own course.  This year I’m acting on the things that light me up, in a grand and glorious attempt to break out of “the shoulds” once and for all.

December 2 – Theme of the Day: On Writing.  What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?

I fear defending what I’ve written.  It’s scary to take a stance because then you have to stand by it!  It’s so much easier to just write passively, but passivity isn’t what inspires others to take bold action.  In 2011, I’m going to work not only on using my voice more, but believing that I have something of value to say.  Thankfully, my husband is a great role model for this and I know I can lean on him for encouragement.

December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors).

The moment that really stands out from 2010 was the opportunity we had back in February to swim with the whale sharks.  This activity really stretched me, as I was nervous about the physicality of this event in addition to the simple fact that we’d be swimming next to an animal with the word ‘shark’ in its name.  The decision to go for it was one of the best I made all year.

Here’s what I remember: There I was, swimming around in Plankton-rich, turquoise-blue water when a whale shark surfaced 5-10 feet directly below me.  It moved with effortless grace and seemed like only seconds before it had pulled me into its rhythm.  It was a moment of pure awe, flowing along with this gentle giant.  At times I could forget that others were around me.  It was just the whale and I moving as one with the water drowning out the chaos above.  I felt suspended in time, completely confounded by the power and beauty of the natural world.  It is a moment that will remain forever frozen in my mind.

In case you want to get a sense of what it was like, check out this video we made of the experience: VIDEO

December 4 – Theme of the Day: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year?

Wonder and Coaching went hand-in-hand for me this year and didn’t take much cultivating at all.  In fact, I think it’s more accurate to say that wonder chose me.  Here are a few of the ways I saw it show up:

I had moments of complete wonder (and awe) as I felt Spirit coaching through me; showing me how to coach someone who couldn’t speak, knowing when to hold someone instead of using meaningless words, placing the perfect question on my tongue that would spark that client to inspired action… the list goes on and on.  Suffice to say it was impossible NOT to notice it.

Wonder also showed up in the form of my new client population: the men and women fighting daily battles with Cancer.  It was impossible not to marvel in wonder at the remarkable resilience of the human spirit.  I have learned so much from them this year, especially in regards to courage.

December 5 – Theme of the Day: Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

I let go of my 20’s and embraced the new decade with joy and anticipation.  I have this great feeling about my 30’s, that they’re going to blow my 20’s out of the water (so to speak) with how on-purpose and boundary-pushing they are.  Even I have a hard time imagining this, as my 20’s were rife with change.  I guess we’ll see….at least my 20’s have prepared me well to expect the unexpected!

December 6 – Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

The most recent thing I made was a collage on Photoshop.  It made use of my favorite medium lately, digital materials, which can be easily manipulated, beautified and tweaked repeatedly.  There’s no way to mess a digital project up permanently because you can always press the undo button!  Happily, this eliminates the biggest deterrent that shows up for me when creating, which is the idea of messing up and having to start over.

December 7 – Theme of the Day: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

I’ve always been a big fan of community (and being a part of as many as I can).  What surprised me in 2010 was that my communities began to take on different forms and were no longer tied to physical location.  These virtual friends invited to me to their homes, offered to send clothes to Manila for Friendship Home and lovingly donated to our Holiday Project.  It has really shifted my idea of what friendships can look like (and made me very addicted to my computer, where my friends ‘live’).

For 2011 I hope to become a parent and would enjoy sharing that bond with other mothers and fathers.  I feel more and more like I’m ready to be a part of that group.  I hope God has it in his plans for us…

And that’s all I’ve got for today folks, hope you enjoyed it!  Please let me know if you’re participating in #reverb10 so I can check out how you answered the prompts!