When I was a
young mom (almost 30 years ago), I had a wonderful neighbor who shared with me
her practice of every December pondering a word or phrase that would become her
mantra for the upcoming year. Through the
years I often asked her what she had chosen and how it had impacted her
life. Several of her mantras that I remember are:
Just listen
Consecrate the day
Love life
Harvesting
Come home
Recognize grace
Breathe
Find joy
The stories of
how these little words impacted her life as she acted on them, prayed for the
courage to live them and had them taped to her bathroom mirror and kitchen frig
were amazing! When she was deeply in the
throws of angst with her husband, a year of “just listen” brought her humility,
calm in the midst of the storm and perseverance. When her son unexpectedly died, “breathe” was
her guiding light to get to the next day and, sometimes, to the next
moment.
After several
years of my neighbor sharing with me, I began my own mantra practice. I have been doing so for over a decade now
and have found that I too am informed by the word – chosen in Dec/Jan – and
gifted all year long by its meaning for my life.
I haven’t
settled on my mantra for 2017 yet. Some
of the possibilities I am considering are:
Pilgrim or
Tourist?
Abide
Simply Be Kind
Recognize Grace
100%
I will let you
know if I settle on one of these or if something totally "other" shows itself in
the couple weeks.
How about you?
Is there a word
or phrase that is beckoning you? Perhaps
it will inform you all year long. I urge
you to consider the possibilities until one calls out to you.
God can and
will use it to guide you in the months ahead.
It may bring you clarity, peace, joy or untold graces. Trust the process and ask God to show you
what your mantra is for 2017. I
promise you, at the end of the year you will be glad you did.
If you decide
to seek a mantra, and feel comfortable leaving me a comment with what it is,
please do! I will compose a list of all
of ours and print them in a few weeks on the blog (anonymously).
Happy New
Year!
May your pondering be rich and
your mantras for 2017 be life-giving throughout the year.
Thanks for reading,
Lori
Significance :)
ReplyDeletelove
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! This one moved more than any other. My mantra will be Live Life! It's been a big struggle this last couple years. It's now on my bathroom mirror. Thank you lovely lady ♡♡♡♡♡♡
ReplyDeleteI think I unintentionally picked a mantra last year, listen. As I'm meeting more and more new faces and hearing new stories this year, focusing on listening rather than speaking will always be important to me. Other than that... maybe, BE PATIENT, or hold on... or enjoy the ride. Haha I'll ponder this one too.
ReplyDeleteI loved your post and felt it pulling at my heart strings as well. Since I read your blog, I have been praying for the words that would help give me the direction I am needing at this time in my life. Imagine my surprise, when worshiping on Sunday, the words I had been searching for came to mind. All in God's perfect time. My mantra for this year (and maybe longer) will be gratitude and grace. Thank you, dear Lori, for offering up these opportunities to pause and reflect.
ReplyDelete